Indoor walking club popularity keeping people moving

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on January 29, 2022.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Members of the walking club from Runner's Soul, take advantage of the opportunity to use the facilities at the Servus Sports Centre this week to avoid the cold and still be able to keep moving.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

Runner’s Soul Walking Club continues to offer a warm place for seniors to keep on moving at the Servus Sports Centre twice per week.
For the fall season, the Runner’s Soul Walking Club decided to limit their registration to 65 participants due to COVID, which they were pretty close to reaching a few weeks ago and which has recently changed.
“Lethbridge Herald had visited us about three weeks ago and we were already pretty close to our limit… and then of course as soon as that popped into the Herald we quickly hit the limit,” said Shawn Pinder, co-owner of Runner’s Soul.
Pinder said they meet Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. during in the coldest months of the year, starting the beginning of October and usually ending at the end of March.
“This really helps because I am scared to walk outside in ice and snow,” said Esther Elman, Runner’s Soul Walking Club member.
After breaking both of her legs over the summer last year, Elman needed to get back on her feet to help strengthen her legs again. It was then when she decided to join the walking club at Runner’s Soul once it was open again in the fall.
Elman said this has helped strengthen her legs quite a bit since she started, and she believes the “turf” has something to do with it.
“This surface is awesome, it’s cushy and there’s no trip hazards or anything,” said Elman.
Pinder said this year their season will end a little later than usual.
“We have a two week hiatus, because of the briar. They have this facility booked for a couple weeks, so we’re going to push it back till middle of April before we finish this particular year,” said Pinder.
He also mentioned the fact that they have tried to have a walking club during the summer but did not have much success with it.
“We had tried that for a couple of years on Thursday mornings from Runner’s Soul and heading out going into Henderson Lake… we’d love to do that, we’ll probably try it again and see,” said Pinder.

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