A Walk with a Doc program will begin on Oct. 29 at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre. Three of those involved in organizing the event are, from left, Raj Makkar, manager of ambulatory care with the Colchester East Hants Health Authority; Dr. Steve Ellis and Matt Moore, general manager at the RECC.
A Walk with a Doc program encourages people to walk with a doctor Saturday mornings at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre, beginning this Saturday.
“Talking about exercise doesn’t always address issues so I thought, what if I get out and walk and invite people to come?” said Dr. Steve Ellis. “When I searched online I found Walk with a Doc already existed.”
Ellis and Raj Makkar, manager of ambulatory care with the Colchester East Hants Health Authority, approached RECC general manager Matt Moore and formed a partnership to organize the program.
“There are a lot of struggles around activity and weight-related illness and we have a wonderful facility here to get exercise,” said Ellis. “This is for any age or ability, even if you only want to walk for 30 seconds.”
A talk, about five minutes in length, will take place before each walk and participants are welcome to ask general health questions while walking, such as how to access physiotherapy and what programs are available for certain conditions. Other services, such as blood pressure testing, may occasionally be offered.
Ellis hopes, along with the physical benefits, the walks will provide emotional and social benefits.
The walks will be held every Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. unless the RECC is unavailable.
“This can provide the benefit of connectedness and I’d encourage anyone to come and be part of it,” added Ellis. “It’s simple and it’s free.”
For more information call Raj Makkar at 902-893-5554 ext. 42142.
The walk
Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist, started the program in Ohio in 2005 and it now runs in 262 locations. Truro is the first in Atlantic Canada, with existing walks in Calgary, Dryden and London. Other countries that now have a walk are the UK, Russia, Australia, Chile, Ireland, Republic of Korea and Spain.
