MINOT – Exercise is certainly a good medicine, but it can be hard to find the motivation to do it.
That’s why Walk Minot, a group of community organizations, has come together for their annual summer walks.
These weekly Wednesday walks were kicked off with Trinity Health’s 15th annual Doc Walk on this past beautiful Wednesday night at Oak Park, hosted by Dawn Mattern, a sports doctor at Trinity.
“The Doc Walk is my way of celebrating Exercise is Medicine Month,” said Mattern. “Exercise is Medicine is a program with the American College of Sports Medicine, where we’re trying to push the evidence up and show people how much they can do for their health, so that exercise becomes one of our first treatments, one of our first ways to prevent things.”
Mattern said typically a hundred or so people show up for the Doc Walk, depending on the weather of course. People may go at whatever pace they like.
“Don’t be afraid to pass me, don’t be afraid to walk slower,” Mattern told Doc Walk goers.
Mattern also encourages doctors to come with their patients, and several Trinity staff members usually join the walk.
Mattern said she can’t think of a single medical problem that she wouldn’t recommend exercise as a treatment for.
Next Wednesday will be the first walk hosted by Walk Minot at Minot State University, 6:30 p.m., in front of Old Main. The walks will continue every Wednesday until July 19. The locations and times are posted on Walk Minot’s Facebook page.
Each walk is sponsored by a different business, organization, or individual. People who attend can sign up for door prizes which will be given out at the last walk, so the more a person attends the better chances he or she has to win a prize.
Kristina Hokenson, with Walk Minot, said Walk Minot also hosts a walk through Oak Park in December when the Christmas lights are up, and one in March at the Roosevelt Park Zoo.
“It’s such a short, nice season here, so it’s good to be able to get out and move,” said Hokenson. “You don’t really need any gear, you just need a pair of shoes. It’s nice to be out in the community, it’s family friendly, and do what you can. If you start walking and it gets difficult, feel free to take a break and rest. Walking is such a great place to start.”
