People power: the influence of helping relationships on physical activity by Michele Guerra, MS, CHES

Sometimes it takes a village to get people physically active. In my case, all it took was Judy.

Several years ago, when I was managing a health promotion program at our local hospital, my coworker and I decided to start walking together on our lunch break. Judy, tall and long-legged like myself, had a similar stride and energy level. Besides enjoying Judy’s company, I found that my midday walks relieved stress, while providing fun and needed exercise. Most importantly, though, they kept me moving.