BFMC Senior Class Presents Walk This Way
GREENFIELD — Senior Class, Baystate Franklin Medical Center, will sponsor a free program, Walk This Way, a program to explore walking both as a fitness tool and as a means to enjoy the environment. There will be two sessions: Wednesday, Aug. 3, starting at 9 a.m. at Baystate Franklin Medical Center; and Thursday, Aug. 26, beginning at 9 a.m. at Burlington Coat Factory, 5 Town Plaza, Allen and Cooley streets, Springfield.
The 19th-century writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau wrote, “the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.” He walked to exercise both his body and his mind. Today we know walking has many physical benefits for heart health and weight loss, and it is inexpensive.
Sue Fontaine, Loyalty Programs senior coordinator, explained that, “in this two-part series, we will explore walking as a way to revitalize our minds through the wonders of being in nature, and we will enjoy the thoughtful contemplation it inspires as well as the benefits to our bodies.”
The first walk, led by Dawn Dorsey, physical director of the YMCA in Greenfield, will emphasize fitness, stretching, and gait. David Gallup, president of the Springfield Naturalist Club, will lead the second walk, a guided two-mile walk in Monson around a pond. This more-challenging walk will be about an hour long. Bottled water and light refreshments will be provided. Comfortable clothes and walking shoes or sneakers should be worn for both walking events.
Pre-registration for Walk This Way is required, but there is no charge for the program. To register, or for more information on joining Senior Class, call Baystate Health Link at (413) 773-2454 or (800) 377-4325.
