Tell me this; are you happy with how you feel? Are you satisfied with your health and feel
you are getting the most out of life? Really? Then why are you reading
a health blog?
I'm going to guess that, like me, you have had health
challenges in your life. You would like
to feel better, but don't know where to start. Maybe you feel isolated and alone. You have been to the doctor but he or she can't seem to help.
Let me tell you, I know exactly how you feel. Not only have I been there with my own health,
but as a doctor I have spent 16 years trying to tell people how to be
healthier, with little success. I see a
constant parade of patients that have chronic illnesses for which medication
does little to no good, but lifestyle changes seem to be impossible for people
to follow.
A few months ago, I read a CNN article on the Walk with a
Doc program. This is a program started
by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Ohio. He was also frustrated in his inability to change his patient's
behavior. He invited them to go for a
walk with him in the park and to his surprise, over 100 took him up on
it. He has now been walking with his
patients for 1 hour every week for 10 years. Each walk is accompanied by a short discussion of a health topic.
This program intrigued me. A one-hour walk a week may not seem like enough to make a major
difference in health, and it probably isn't. But this program brings together people with similar challenges, and
similar goals. It provides a community
where people can learn about health and interact with health professionals as
peers in a non-threatening, non-judgmental, and health-promoting way. It can help kick-start them adopting a
healthy, active life. If we all have the
same goal of feeling better, we can encourage and mentor each other toward
better health.
I have experienced this first hand. Twelve years ago, I was sedentary, overweight,
stressed, and tired. Over the next
number of years, I changed the way I lived life, choosing a more active
lifestyle, to the great benefit of my physical and mental health. Along the way, friends who were making the
same changes in their own lives were great support to me, as I probably was to
them. The shared journey was fun and
rewarding.
I am hoping that this is what the Walk with a Doc program
can do for people in the Leduc area. Every Thursday evening, we will meet at the Leduc Recreation Center, for
a brief (5-20 minutes) health discussion and then a 1-hour walk, where the
conversation can continue. On good
weather days, the walk will be outside. On bad weather days, the walk will start inside on the walking track and then anyone who is
brave enough can continue outside with me, as I always prefer outside to
inside, regardless of the weather. The
program is free, has no age restrictions and is open to anyone who can walk
(or wheelchair, or otherwise propel themselves forward) and wants better
health.
The first date is set for October 20, at 7 p.m. Please meet me in the Vantage Room at the Leduc Recreation Centre were I will talk about my own personal
journey to health. After that, we will go for a walk outside on the trails around the LRC. Please join me, invite your friends and family! Let's get healthier and happier
together.
Dr. Trevor Byers
