Walk – no need to run
You have the energy and the motor power to run or jog when you are young. As you get on in years, walking actually continues to be as beneficial. There is no need to run. Any distance walked regularly, if you can, will be good. Thirty minutes, five days a week to make up the 150 minutes is the guideline.
In reality the distance and time devoted to walking can vary. You can choose to take a more leisurely walk for up to an hour for instance. Or you may be satisfied with just 15 minutes. Something is better than nothing. The important message is to do it. as regularly as you can.
Five to choose from
Thanks for our National Parks, a “large interlinking network of park connectors” are now in place in Singapore as of 2021. There are five loops to choose from:
* Central urban loop
* Eastern coastal loop
* Northern explorer loop
* North eastern riverine loop, and
* Western adventure loop
You can Google and download a brochure of each of the 5 loops.
Western adventure loop park connector
This walk connector has a nice walking concrete path and nice landscape on either side of the path.
Four of us, my wife, her brother, his wife, and me (extreme right in picture) decided to join the walking crowd on the morning of 23 Aug 2021.
Our walk started from behind Block 716 Clementi West and proceeded by the Sungei Pandan Kechil. We turned back along one of the roads fringing West Coast Park and back to Block 716. We took 60 minutes. It was an enjoyable morning walk.
Shrubs and flowers
There are many flowering plants alongside the path: ixoras, honeysyuckles, heliconias, lilies, and ground orchids – just to list a selection, familiar to me. It is like meeting old friends.
To those not yet familiar with these flowering shrubs, a visit to the flower and plants garden – will be the next thing to do. We can see the same flowers and plants and there will be someone who can help you learn their names and more. And there are books on how to grow these easy-to-grow flowering shrubs.
Fruit trees
There are also fruit trees that greet you along the way: mango trees, and chiku trees (see picture above) – I have not seen a chiku tree for quite a while as we have become urbanised. It was therefore a welcome sight. The appearance of fruit trees along this park connector also tells me that fruit trees can be made visible for all to see — these can be useful material for nature study for children.
Enjoy
You can walk imaginatively and with much reminiscence of what know. Age well everyday with your significant others. You can.
Walk – no need to runYou have the energy and the motor power to run or jog when you are young. As you get on in years, walking actually continues to be as beneficial. There is no need to run. Any distance walked regularly, if you can, will be good. Thirty minutes, five days a week to make up the 150 minutes is the guideline. In reality the distance and time devoted to walking can vary. You can choose to take a more leisurely walk for up to an hour for instance. Or you may be satisfied with just 15 minutes. Something is better than nothing. The important message is to do it. as regularly as you can. Five to choose fromThanks for our National Parks, a “large interlinking network of park connectors” are now in place in Singapore as of 2021. There are five loops to choose from:* Central urban loop* Eastern coastal loop* Northern explorer loop* North eastern riverine loop, and* Western adventure loopYou can Google and download a brochure of each of the 5 loops. Western adventure loop park connectorThis walk connector has a nice walking concrete path and nice landscape on either side of the path. Four of us, my wife, her brother, his wife, and me (extreme right in picture) decided to join the walking crowd on the morning of 23 Aug 2021. Our walk started from behind Block 716 Clementi West and proceeded by the Sungei Pandan Kechil. We turned back along one of the roads fringing West Coast Park and back to Block 716. We took 60 minutes. It was an enjoyable morning walk. Shrubs and flowersThere are many flowering plants alongside the path: ixoras, honeysyuckles, heliconias, lilies, and ground orchids – just to list a selection, familiar to me. It is like meeting old friends. To those not yet familiar with these flowering shrubs, a visit to the flower and plants garden – will be the next thing to do. We can see the same flowers and plants and there will be someone who can help you learn their names and more. And there are books on how to grow these easy-to-grow flowering shrubs.Fruit treesThere are also fruit trees that greet you along the way: mango trees, and chiku trees (see picture above) – I have not seen a chiku tree for quite a while as we have become urbanised. It was therefore a welcome sight. The appearance of fruit trees along this park connector also tells me that fruit trees can be made visible for all to see — these can be useful material for nature study for children. Enjoy You can walk imaginatively and with much reminiscence of what know. Age well everyday with your significant others. You can.
Dr LG Goh
Dr GOH Lee Gan is a retired Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, National University Health System. He has an interest in learning and teaching how we can age well everyday (AWE).
