Blog archive
April 2024
Stimulated by "Caste"
04/22/2024
Tulsa reparations, Religion and Politics
04/09/2024
March 2024
Trumps War with Black Women
03/31/2024
Addressing The Needs of Older Adults Through Pasadena Village
03/25/2024
Coming Soon: More Resources for Older Americans, Online and in Person
03/25/2024
Community Building Locally and Nationally
03/25/2024
Preparing for the Future with Ready or Not
03/25/2024
Volunteering is at The Heart of the Village
03/25/2024
Women's Liberation: Then and Now
03/25/2024
Writing Memoirs Together
03/25/2024
Current Views on Current Events
03/20/2024
Unchained
03/18/2024
Rumr of Humor issue # 2409
03/10/2024
Blacks Portrayed by European Artists
03/03/2024
Rumor of Humor #2408
03/03/2024
February 2024
Caring for Ourselves and Each Other
02/27/2024
Doug Colliflower Honored
02/27/2024
Great Decisions Connects Us to the Worldwide Community
02/27/2024
Letter from the President
02/27/2024
Pasadena Village's Impact
02/27/2024
The Power of Touch
02/27/2024
Villages as a New Approach to Aging
02/27/2024
Addressing Gang Violence in Pasadena-Altadena
02/21/2024
Rumor of Humor Issue 2407
02/19/2024
Thank You For Caring.
02/12/2024
Rumor of Humor 2405
02/11/2024
Curve Balls
02/10/2024
Sylvan Lane
02/10/2024
Rumor of Humor 2404
02/09/2024
Larry Duplechan, Blacks in Film
02/03/2024
January 2024
Pasadena Village Joins Community Partners in Vaccination Campaign
01/29/2024
Rumor of Humor #2403
01/28/2024
Pasadena Village Joins Two Healthy Aging Resource Projects
01/25/2024
Decluttering: Do It Now
01/24/2024
Village Volunteers Contribute to the Huntington Magic
01/24/2024
Villagers Creating Community
01/24/2024
Villagers Reflect on Black History Month
01/24/2024
Walk With Ease, 2024
01/24/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2402
01/21/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2401
01/15/2024
Re- Entry Programs, a Personal Experience
01/08/2024
Walk With Ease, 2024
By Edward A. RinderlePosted: 01/24/2024
The Walk With Ease program, 2024 version, is off and running! But it’s not too late to join in!
Walk With Ease is a program designed to help people develop a walking routine, sometimes from scratch. The program is a service offered by the Arthritis Foundation, but it is not limited to those who have arthritis. Participants can start off at any level and increase their walking distance over a span of six weeks.
For more than a year now, Priyanka Kumar, the Membership Services and Volunteer Coordinator at Pasadena Village, has led the effort to make Walk With Ease available to the Pasadena community. Under her guidance, the program has completed four six-week sessions since its inception early last year. The program is completely free to all participants due to the generous funding from Pasadena Community Foundation, Rotary Club of Pasadena, and Rotary Club of San Marino. The walks have been held at several local parks, namely Michillinda, Lacy, Brenner, and Hamilton. A total of 50 walkers have participated.
Participation in the program includes a copy of the Walk With Ease workbook. The workbook stresses a basic five-step pattern: warming up; gently stretching; walking at “normal” speed; cooling down; and gently stretching again. The book also contains forms that the walker can use to track progress.
Following the workbook's guidelines, Priyanka begins each session by talking a bit about a portion of the workbook's content. Then she leads us on a warm-up stroll followed by some simple stretches. The next step is to walk at “normal” speed, as each participant walks at their own pace for a given amount of time, monitored by Priyanka. The session then shifts to a short cool-down walk, ending with another set of simple stretches. The parks provide a pleasant environment not only to exercise but also to chat with other participants.
Occasionally, a session includes a “special event.” For example, one walk featured a podiatrist who gave a presentation on proper footwear. At another, Meg Maryan, a Home Care Consultant from Home Instead, brought a balance scale that enables walkers to assess their risk of falling. Once the current session has ended, Priyanka plans to begin another six-week Walk With Ease program later this year. Keep reading the Voice of the Village for more information.
Walk With Ease leader Priyanka says of her experience: “Walk With Ease has given me a sense of fulfillment that I did not anticipate. As an avid walker, I appreciate that the program connects me with my roots. It also helps me grow by teaching me so much about good body posture, stretching, etc. And it brings me joy when I see someone, who could do just one lap at the session's beginning, become able to do two or more laps by the session's end. What a privilege!”
“I have learned that the most important thing in walking and in life is to take it easy and go at your own pace,” Priyanka adds. “Neither walking nor life is a competition. I also learned that keeping a positive attitude helps, because each day will be different. I fully believe in the Latin phrase solvitur ambulando (learned from our Board President Sue Kujawa). The expression translates to 'it is solved by walking.' Walking with small steps towards goals has solved most of my problems!”
So come and join the Walk With Ease group to rediscover the benefits of walking. If you can't join in the current session, you can sign up for the next one. Whether you are a Villager or not, you can expect a warm welcome.