Let's Move Together

Sunday I walked in the 17th annual Arthritis Foundation Walk in Boston. My Goddaughter, Kate, is Captain of a team – Katie’s Knights. Kate was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis when she was in the seventh grade.

According to the Arthritis Foundation arthritis is “a complex family of musculoskeletal disorders consisting of more than 100 different diseases or conditions that destroy joints, bones, muscles, cartilage and other connective tissues.” There are 50 million Americans with arthritis, and two-thirds of them are under the age of 65, including 300,000 children. The most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and juvenile arthritis. Other forms of arthritis include fibromyalgia, gout, Lyme disease, and tendinitis.

Arthritis is a more frequent cause of activity limitations than heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. There is strong evidence that exercise provides benefits for people with arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation hosts walks all over the United States to raise money for research and education. Their slogan is “Let’s Move Together.” The event takes place over the course of a day. We started with registration and warm-up dance. The Boston walk is a three mile loop along the Charles River near MIT, Harvard and Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. We walked along the river, across a bridge to the other side, and then back across another bridge to end where we started. Afterwards there was lunch, prizes, acknowledgements for top fundraisers, and more dancing.

This was the first time I had participated in this walk. I am very proud of Kate and her leadership of her team. However, my participation has always been limited to a financial donation. Last year I actually thought about walking with her team, but had a conflicting commitment. This year I did not. I also thought it would be a good training walk for my upcoming Avon Walk.

I found the event fun. The weather was perfect. The team is delightful. The three miles seemed to go by quickly. In the end it was an easy walk and I think I want to participate in other 5K walks. Something inside me has changed.

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