'walking' posts

As summer approaches, many of us are looking forward to exciting summer plans with family and friends. Potential adventures could include touring exotic locations, exploring new cities, or enjoying the beautiful outdoors in the Pacific Northwest. No matter what your chosen activities, most of us will be on our feet much more during the next few months enjoying the sunny weather. We can expect that our feet will be uncomfortable at times, but dealing with feet that continually hurt may affect those summer plans.

Here are some summer tips to keep your feet in tip top shape:

The days are getting shorter, the jackets are coming out and a rainbow of leaves covers the ground. It is fall and even though it might be a bit rainier, it is still gorgeous here in the Pacific Northwest. Of course, as the temperature drops, for many of us, so does our motivation to exercise. But don’t let the shorter daylight hours and cooler weather keep you from giving your body what it needs.

In the United States and in many countries around the world, we rely heavily on our cars to get around, especially when they promise the comfort of heat on cold days and shelter when it rains. This often means we have to deal with more traffic, too. So why not take time this season to rediscover the power of your own two (booted) feet, and avoid the traffic?

Neighborhoods in cities around the country have a “walk score” that rates how easy it is to walk to places like grocery stores, banks and schools. The higher the walk score, the easier and safer it is to get places on foot. The easier and safer it is to get places, the more people walk! The more people walk, the healthier they are.

In fact, people who live in areas with higher walk scores ...

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending “Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes” at Magnuson Park in Seattle and meeting hundreds of people touched by diabetes. Whether they had family members or loved ones with diabetes or had diabetes themself, each person had a clear passion for finding a cure for this condition. That passion was contagious and I was happy to catch it!

Joining doctors and Certified Diabetes Educators from Swedish’s Diabetes Education Center at a booth, I heard about patients’ challenges, from staying at a healthy weight to getting the right nutrition to checking their blood sugar. Facing a chronic disease like diabetes (which affects nearly every aspect of a person’s life) is truly heroic! As a health educator, I understand the risk factors for diabetes and how to treat it, but until you meet someone that deals with the finger pricks, test strips and insulin shots every day, it is difficult to grasp what living with diabetes is truly like.

What it also made me realize is that there is always more to learn about diabetes care and treatment. And many of these lessons can help those without diabetes! Learning how to stay healthy and practicing these skills does not have to be boring either. In fact, the Diabetes Education Center has a series of cooking classes where you can learn how to cook tasty healthy food (and eat it, too!) The interactive classes are usually held every few months with the next one coming up at Swedish/Cherry Hill on Tuesday, November 13th from 6-7:30 p.m. Frankly, I’m a poor cook but classes like these help remind me that being healthy can actually be fun. They are even hosting these classes at Swedish/Issaquah starting in 2013, too! Who’s coming with me?

Even as someone who works at a hospital, I find myself grabbing for that second treat more often than I should and a regular reminder of healthy habits is always welcome. Being at the Step Out walk was one of these reminders and it made me realize how strong those with chronic disease are. For those out there that deal with conditions like this every day, you are amazing.

Thanks for stepping out this weekend and reminding me why it is awesome to work with patients and families like you!

The Swedish team at Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes 2012