By Nicholas Yong

By 7am every Sunday, housewife Catherine Ang, 42, hits a nearby park in Bukit Panjang with her mother, husband and two teenage children for a session of brisk walking. After walking a few kilometres, the whole family goes for breakfast together.

This typical family gathering might not have been possible but for a health scare.

Five years ago, Madam Ang was diagnosed with first stage breast cancer during a routine check-up.

Folllowing her diagnosis, she became more health-conscious and decided to exercise more regularly while still undergoing treatment. Her mother, Madam Goh Lai Choon, 67, then encouraged her to give brisk walking a try.

Madam Goh had already picked up the sport when she noticed other seniors brisk walking in her neighbourhood and decided to join in.

She remains active, regularly walking to the supermarket a few kilometres from her flat to shop for groceries.

Madam Ang initially thought that the sport was just 'play-play'. When she finally began brisk walking about two years ago, she found herself enjoying it more than she thought she would.

'It helps me keep my weight down and I feel healthier, too. I especially enjoy the big brisk walking events because when you exercise in a big group, you can encourage one another and go faster as well. Not only that, it's free,' said Madam Ang, who now brisk walks up to four times a week.

She recently completed her course of treatment and medication, and still goes for follow-up check-ups.

The weekend walks are also a great time for family bonding. Her 17-year-old daughter Jane Lam, a student, even invites some of her classmates to join them.

Jane said: 'Only one or two of them come because it's a bit hard to get teenagers up on a Sunday morning. We don't do physical education every day in school, so it's another day for me to go out and get the heart pumping to stay in shape and relieve some stress.'

Her brother Justin, 13, admitted that he is different from his peers because he enjoys the walks as family time: 'I don't really know friends who are as close to their family as I am. We do everything together, such as swimming, jogging and brisk walking.'

Brisk walking, which basically means walking at a fast pace, has really taken off here. There are 391 brisk walking clubs with nearly 80,000 members in total.

The Ministry of Community Development Youth and Sports is giving the People's Association up to $1.9 million over three years for the five Community Development Councils to implement and administer the National Brisk Walking Clubs initiative.

It is hoped that there will be 620 clubs and 100,000 members by 2012.

The Health Promotion Board has also established a training framework to train 2,500 exercise leaders over three years.

The initiative, launched last month, comes after a visit in July by a governmental team to Japan, the world's most rapidly ageing country, for a conference on physical activities for elders.

The co-chairman of the National Brisk Walking Workgroup, Dr Teo Ho Pin, is also mayor of North West District, which set up the first brisk walking club here in 2002. His district alone has 128 brisk walking clubs and about 47,000 members.

Dr Teo, who brisk walks up to three times a week, noted that the exercise was a good way of getting the people to exercise.

'Brisk walking is a very simple activity. It is suitable for all age groups and the majority of senior citizens especially find it easy to do,' he said.

The Member of Parliament had switched to brisk walking in 2002 as an alternative exercise after tearing his ligament almost a decade ago in a charity football match.

But it is not just the seniors who are feeling the benefits. National serviceman Ang Shi Wei, 21, leads a brisk walking session in his estate every Sunday despite his military commitments.

'I'm the youngest guy there. But I like spending time with the elderly, as I think you can learn a lot from their experiences by listening to their life stories. I can also wake up early and get some fresh air,' said Mr Ang, who also plays other sports such as badminton.

Retiree George Goh, 71, who is a brisk walk co-ordinator in his estate, noted that it is generally harder to get young adults to join in: 'They seem to prefer cycling or rollerblading. The ones who come along like walking with us but they often find the distance too short. We usually walk 2 to 3km, because elderly people can't really go that far.'

Doctors whom Life! spoke to say brisk walking is a simple, low-intensity cardiovascular exercise that can be picked up by almost anyone and it has many benefits.

Dr Teh Kong Chuan, senior consultant at the sports medicine centre in Alexandra Hospital, said: 'There is no need to be super fit to pick it up. Neither do you need special equipment. The intensity is lower than a sport such as jogging, but it improves on things such as your cholesterol and blood sugar levels.'

He added that an hour of brisk walking can burn about 300 calories.

Dr Benedict Tan, medical director for Singapore Sports Medicine Centre, noted that it was especially suitable for individuals who rarely exercise and are just starting out.

'It's also recommended for older people as well as those recovering from a heart attack or stroke, but under doctor's supervision,' he said.

Doctors advise that brisk walking should preferably be done five times a week, with each session lasting between 30 and 50 minutes, for it to be effective. It should also be combined with other exercises such as cycling or swimming in order to work different parts of the body.

Dr Tan also noted that the social aspects of the sport is even more appealing: 'You can chit-chat while you're doing it, whereas in a game like, say, badminton, it's a bit harder to talk and play.'

nicy@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The Straits Times.