Have you ever thought how fortunate we are to live in Canada where we have universal healthcare? We can visit our doctor as and when needed. Our heath care system is designed to be there to help us when we are sick. However, the onus is on us to minimize our need to use our health care system and we can do that by maintaining our health through proper diet and regular exercise.
We are indeed lucky to live in the Shuswap with so many opportunities to have an active, healthy lifestyle. I am a major supporter of initiatives that will get our citizens moving. An active community is a healthy community and Salmon Arm has opportunities for everyone. The Shuswap Trail Alliance has and continues to build an extensive network of trails giving us multiple opportunities for walking, hiking, biking or riding our horse on the many nature trails. The city’s Greenways committee is working on just what their name implies green ways (trails) for movement within and around the City.
We have a twin sheet arena for all forms of skating, Larch Hills for cross-country skiing, a recreational pool for indoor water sports with the entire Shuswap Lake for outdoor water sports, sidewalks, parks for summer activities, and the list goes on and on.
A couple weeks ago I participated in the Hit2Fit fundraiser with proceeds going to the local chapter of Kids Sport. I challenged myself to move beyond my comfort zone and it was a truly empowering experience. So now I have a challenge for all of us! The ParticipACTION 150 Play List at https://www.participaction.com/en-ca/programs/participaction-150-play-list/about was created by over 465,000 voters from across Canada. The list is a compilation of 150 physical activities that make us uniquely Canadian. Challenge yourself, your family, friends and coworkers to see how many different activities you can complete during the 2017 year.
Community events will be happening all across Canada as we partner together to inspire Canadians to sit less and move more. You can even win some great prizes.
To summarize, not only are we fortunate to live in Canada but to live in this area is a real bonus. Here in the Salmon Arm Shuswap area we have mountains for climbing, trails for hiking, a lake for swimming and so much more. Let’s all take advantage of what we have as we work towards keeping active and healthy. And let’s see how many new challenges we can take on in this Canada’s 150th year.