Walking Club promotes good physical and mental health

Making connections with others is something many in the Chippewa Valley have been craving during a time when staying socially distanced is strongly recommended. The Volunteer Partners of HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital encourages residents to join its Walking Club to meet new people and stay physically active.

Dianne Fish, coordinator of the Volunteer Partners Walking Club says everyone is welcome to join because it’s important to reach out to others. “We know being active helps promote good mental and physical health, and it’s always easier when you have someone else to join you,” she says. “We want to help people make connections with others while also taking time to do something positive for themselves.”

The club began a few years ago. After participants said how much they enjoyed it, the Volunteer Partners decided to make the exercise a long-term opportunity.

The Walking Club is free to join and its gatherings are casual and fun. Those who would like to participate should meet at the duck pond gazebo in Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls every Wednesday at 10 a.m., weather permitting. In late fall and winter the meeting place is the Chippewa Falls YMCA.

During this time of social distancing, the club encourages walking together, but apart. Masks are welcome, but not required outdoors if maintaining a distance of six feet from others.