In early May of 2014, my travels took me to beautiful Maui and the town of Kaanapali. I was there to speak at the Maui Primary Care Conference. It was an excellent meeting that brought together some great speakers to cover topics related to the care of the active and athletic patient. Hawaii is the perfect place to have a meeting because of the wonderful weather and numerous options for physical activity. And this visit was no exception, as everyone who attended had ample opportunities to enjoy the many attractions that Maui is known for. I particularly enjoyed driving the Road to Hana and exploring many of the beaches and waterfalls along the way.

During the conference, one of my talks was on the Health Benefits of Exercise. In this lecture I stressed how important it is for healthcare providers to inform patients about the risks of being sedentary. I believe we have an ethical obligation to ask patients about their exercise habits and inform them they need to be doing 150 minutes per week of moderate activity (like a brisk walk) to help prevent chronic disease and live longer. We do the same for smoking, and advising patients on physical activity should be no different.

While in Maui I took the opportunity to engage in two of my favorite activities – walking and swimming. The Kaanapali area is great for walking with a beautiful boardwalk that runs right along the sandy beach and ocean. I got in at least 30-40 minutes of walking and jogging each day. I was able to cap this off with a nice ocean swim using my swim goggles so I could look at all the fish along the way. Some of the best snorkeling spots in the world are right there in Maui and the water temperature is perfect.

I hope this blog finds you well and that you are able to combine your travel and vacations with walking. It is a great way to explore a new location and get in the steps you need to keep healthy.

Keep walking!

Bob