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Stepping out for good health
By Stephanie Norman
The Paris News
Published August 23, 2009
A walk a day keeps the doctor away is how four senior women feel about their early morning walking group, which has been active for the past 10 years. Berdie Gibson, Joan Mathis, Linda Williams and Paula Henderson walk three miles a day in 45 minutes at Dragon Park.
Gibson said at her last doctors visit, the doctor told her she was in very good shape, healthy and told her to keep doing what she’s doing; walking. These women not only benefit physically from walking together, but they have formed a lasting friendship.
“We’ve developed a bond,” Mathis said.
They are there for each other in times of need and help one another through rough patches; even on the walking track.
“This bond has lasted. It’s just one of those things,” Williams said. “I go out of town a lot, but when I come back, I just get back in there walking. Times you want to stay home, you think, ‘I can’t let my partners down,’ so it’s a bond, and if it weren’t for the other three, then we wouldn’t walk. We’ve known each other for a long time.”
They all live quite close together so they even carpool when they go walking.
“We started walking in the neighborhood and then we moved to the track,” Williams said. She also said one of the reasons she makes walking a priority is because she has high blood pressure.
Walking has been proven to manage weight, control blood pressure, decrease risk of heart attack, boost good cholesterol, lower risk of stroke, reduce risk of breast cancer and type 2 diabetes, avoid the need for gallstone surgery, protect against hip fracture and much more.
“If one of us has a health tip, then we’ll share it,” Williams said.
Mathis has a tip she wants to share with the group and others. She discovered a way to avoid a headache. It seems to work great for her every time, but wonders if it could help others.
“I’m not a medical doctor, so all I can tell you is what happened,” Mathis said. “One day I felt a headache coming on and I was going to take two Aspirin before I went to the track, but I forgot. Before I had walked around the second time, the headache was gone. So if I had taken the Aspirin, of course I would have thought it was the Aspirin. So I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll try it again if it happens.’ The second time I went to the track and on the second round, the headache was gone. I’ve hardly had a headache since.”
She was amazed by the results of her walking test. It has proved to wipe out her headaches every time she puts it to the test.
Exercising is a great way to build self-confidence. These ladies claim they feel refreshed, energized and healthy after each morning walk.
“Walking gets your heart pumping and you sweat,” Williams said. “We’re being pro-active.”
A lot of times, with age individuals have less energy. Walking helps circulate blood flow and gives seniors a boost of energy.
“The benefits include the ability to do more house work without tiring out,” Mathis said. “I can get up on a Saturday morning and mop and clean the house, and then at twelve o-clock, I’m still going.”
Walking is how these women begin their day. They may be half asleep when they start the first lap, but by the time they’ve walked three miles, they’re wide-awake, enjoying their time together and ready to move on to the rest of their plans for the day.
“We’ll be walking around the track talking and interacting and laughing,” Williams said. “Laughter is good for you too. It kind of starts your day out.”
On occasion, they spot little critters on the path, which cause a little commotion sometimes.
“Every once in a while, we may see a skunk,” Williams said with a laugh. “I’m the one – I kind of look on down the path because most of them keep their heads down.”
Henderson said they have also seen “snakes, rabbits and turtles,” on Trail de Paris.
They tend to walk Trail de Paris in the winter because snakes are hibernating. Safety is important to all of them, which is also why they walk in a group.
“One of the funniest moments for me, they probably didn’t know it,” Gibson said. “I had got up earlier and I had on the wrong shoes. I had on two different shoes. I was so embarrassed!” All four of the women laughed as Gibson shared her mismatch moment that they had never heard before.
“I lost my keys once,” Henderson said. “We found them on the track where I dropped them.”
Sometimes when they walk, they pray together. They also keep each other posted on what’s going on in their families. Henderson said they also share “current events” with each other.
“I feel like I’m so behind when I’m not with them,” Mathis said.
Gibson and Henderson have gone on a cruise together before and even took their jogging gear and walked everyday they were on the ship. Just this past week they took another cruise and walked then too.
“We motivate and encourage each other,” Williams said.
They welcome others interested in walking with them. Mathis is a teacher at Paris Junior College and can be contacted there. She said “the more the merrier.”
“I don’t think anyone could find a more ladylike and kind group of people then this group,” Mathis said. “That makes me want to be at my best.”
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