What is the Walk N’ Roll Program?

Walk N’ Roll is a free, indoor walking program for older, community dwelling adults (men and women) with multiple co-morbidities. It is provided in partnership between municipal Recreation Departments and the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and trained volunteers.

They target people that are not able to join regular seniors fitness programming offered by community recreation. Every participant walks using a 4WW – if they do not own one they are able to borrow one.

Walk N’ Roll gives the participants an opportunity to use key public recreation facilities that they may not have accessed on their own

Why was the Walk N’ Roll program created?

Many sedentary people know that they need to get more physically active, but often say “I don’t know where to start!”. Walk N’ Roll provides a starting place.

Walk N’ Roll:

• Draws people into their local recreation facilities which they may not have entered before.
• Raises the communities’ awareness of simple ways to become more physically active and decreases the social stigma of using an assistive device (“one of those things”).
• Provides a starting place for those wanting to reduce sedentary behaviour.
• Provides social opportunities.
• Enables faster walking speeds, using 4WW as exercise equipment, while ensuring a greater degree of safety within a group exercise format.
• Teaches participants how to self-monitor their exercise intensity, using the Talk Test. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines’ health benefits are based on 150mins/week of moderate to vigorous activity.

For more information, check out the Walk N Roll Poster

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The Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) represents physiotherapists, physiotherapist assistants and physiotherapist students across Canada. CPA members are rehabilitation professionals dedicated to the health, mobility and fitness of Canadians.

Physiotherapists are primary health care professionals who combine their in-depth knowledge of the body and how it works with specialized hands-on clinical skills to assess, diagnose and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability.

More than 20,000 registered physiotherapists work in Canada, in private clinics, general and rehabilitation hospitals, community health centres, residential care and assisted-living facilities, home visit agencies, workplaces, and schools.

The CPA presents its educational references as a public service and for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the opinions of the CPA membership.