Mark McNab has been attending the walking program almost every Friday since the program started at the Kimberley Civic Centre. Kimberley residents might know Mark from his volunteer work or may have seen him cycling around town. Mark is legally blind and recently had a major set-back losing even more vision necessitating further surgery. This impacted significantly on Mark’s ability to be physically active and left him unable to ride his bike for some time. Though the circumstances may differ, this is a common predicament many find ourselves in recovering from a surgery or illness and unable or unsure how to regain lost fitness and condition.
Mark has found attending the walking program on Fridays beneficial. The social aspects are important and anyone who knows Mark would have enjoyed a good conversation and appreciated his amazing positive attitude. The program leaders, Nigel Kitto and Tracy Carroll, both Primary Care RN’s at the Kimberley Health Centre, have encouraged Mark over the weeks and months, and watched his blood pressure come down while his breathing eased on exertion, even with an increasing pace and distance. Nigel and Tracy don’t believe in ‘weigh-ins’ or weight loss as a primary target – any weight loss desired is a fringe benefit of increasing fitness whilst reducing risk factors for heart attack or stroke. That being said, Mark is feeling his clothes become looser, feeling stronger and even more motivated to exercise at home and out in the community. Just as well – Mark is so appreciated and needed at the Pines Special Care Home as a key volunteer, and it is an active role!
If you are new to physical activity, or perhaps just need a helping hand to get going again, come and join Tracy and Nigel at the Civic Centre on Friday mornings 9:30 – 10:30am. For those who may not be morning folks, Aileen Boyd our Community Paramedic is leading the walks on Tuesday’s at 1:30pm. Friendly supervision, blood pressure and breathing checks will help with motivation while keeping everyone safe. Health questions are welcomed and information about living a healthy lifestyle is available. For more information call the Kimberley Health Centre 250-427-2215.
