New Year’s revolution

An oldie but a goodie, Dr. Mike Evans’ smash-hit video (3.7 million views and counting) on the single most constructive thing you can do for your health. It came to mind, yet again, because of Doc Evans’ advice in today’s Globe and Mail, a new-year list of things to do to be more healthy this…

Maintain your brain

Not only does walking help people process traumatic memories and deal with stress, it also helps stave off cognitive and memory problems. How? By preventing brain shrinkage — an important factor in the fight against both mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. “Because a cure for Alzheimer’s is not yet a reality, we hope to…

Walking away from PTSD

My Q&A on ex-Marine Sean Gobin’s Warrior Hike program, in which American war vets thru-hike the 2,180-mile-long Appalachian Trail to come to terms with the traumatic sights and sounds of battle, ran as the Big Idea feature in the Focus section of Saturday’s Globe and Mail. Considering how Canadian soldiers returning from Afghanistan are struggling…

Walkumentary

The Walking Revolution, a new 30-minute documentary produced an American organization called Every Body Walk!, is now available online. Focused on the health benefits of walking, the film makes a strong case why physical inactivity is the biggest health problem of the 21st century — and how we can address it.

Bionic woman

Excited about my interview tomorrow with Amanda Boxtel, executive director of the Bridging Bionics Foundation and an ambassador for Ekso Bionics. Paralyzed in a ski accident in 1992, she is walking again with help from an exoskeleton. Here’s her incredible story:  

Walking in a (simulated) winter environment

I just wrapped up two fascinating days of research at the Challenging Environment Assessment Laboratory (aka CEAL), part of Toronto Rehab’s iDAPT Centre. The lab, a world leader in rehabilitation research, is home to dozens of projects aimed at making our streets, homes and workplaces safer. One of its goals is help prevent injuries before they…

Walking off the war

An inspiring phone interview today with Sean Gobin, the ex-U.S. Marine who started an organization called Warrior Hike and, in concert with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, launched the Walk Off The War program. Basically, it helps American veterans of combat find themselves — physically, mentally and spiritually — by thru-hiking the trail. Gobin, who did…