Put on your running shoes and go for a walk for your mental health is the message behind Walking Wednesdays in Windsor.
The City of Windsor and Caesars Windsor kicked off the initiative at Charles Clark Square today to encourage people to go for a 1KM walk on Wednesdays.
It's part of the Sole Focus project to raise awareness of mental health issues.
"It is a healthy thing to do at lunchtime," says Ashley Vodarek, team assistant of community relations with the Windsor branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
"Exercise is a huge piece to our mental wellness and physical well-being," she says. "When you are doing something like that, you come together as a group, you are thinking about it, you are thinking about breaking the stigma and you are thinking about your own mental health."
A crowd gathers at Charles Clark Square to launch Walking Wednesdays. May 3, 2017 (Photo by Teresinha Medeiros)
Vodarek says walking is good for the body and soul. "It is as simple as feeling your footsteps on the ground and taking some time for yourself."
The walks will happen every Wednesday through the spring and summer.
This is Mental Health Week.
One in five Canadians personally experience a mental illness during their lifetime.