Warmer, sunnier, Spring days can only mean one thing … charity walk season will soon get underway.
Now is the perfect time to start getting back into shape so you can help out your favourite charities.
If you’re like me, my walks tend to be shorter during the winter. It’s often windy, cold and slippery outside and hard to navigate sidewalks. Shopping malls and building complexes are more comfortable but it’s hard to get a brisk walk going for an extended period of time.
How to Prepare for a Charity Walk
It’s healthier and safer to build up strength and stamina for longer walks over a period of several weeks by taking an incremental approach.
Walking expert Wendy Baumgartner, who writes for walking.about.com has mapped out several workout schedules over several weeks based on distances you might want to walk … 5 km, 10 
km, or longer.
There are plenty of other sources for advice too like:
- Reader’s Digest Best Health
- Jenny Craig
- racewalking.org
- charity walk websites (the larger ones provide plenty of tips and advice).
The main approach to these training schedules is to start with shorter (e.g. 15 minutes), easier walks and gradually increase the length of the walk and then the pace until you are walking more than the charity walk distance.
You’ll also be reminded about good walking posture and given tips on how to prepare for different types of walking and weather conditions.
Which Charity Walks to Choose
Charity Walks are popular because it’s easy for anyone to participate. There are dozens of organizations that organize fundraising walks throughout the year.
Here is a small sample of some of the larger charity walks happening in multiple cities:
Mother’s Day Walk, Breast Cancer Society of Canada http://mothersdaywalk.ca/
- Mother’s Day Walk, Breast Cancer Society of Canada, May 8
- Walk to Fight Arthritis, The Arthritis Society, June 5
- Do It for Dads Walk Run, Prostate Cancer Research, June 19 (Father’s Day)
- Push for Your Tush, Colon Cancer Society, dates by city
- Light The Night Walk, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, dates by city
- Jane’s Walk, community-building projects, dates by city.
Look for local charity walks too. They can be fun and creative. For example, in London, Ontario:
- The Barefoot Walk, London Youth Social Justice Committee, May 13
- Hike for Happiness, Mission Services of London, May 29
- Walk of Champions for Myeloma Research, London and District Myeloma Support Group, Aug. 28
- Move for Wheels, Meals on Wheels London, March 18
Whichever you choose, just know that you’re helping both yourself and a lot of grateful people who can use your support.
