The Queen’s chapter of Exercise is Medicine Canada (EIMC @ Queen's) will host the second annual Move with our Docs walk on June 5. The free event invites members of the Kingston community to join local physicians and health-care professionals for a leisurely two kilometre walk along the Kingston waterfront to raise awareness of the importance of exercise for combating many chronic diseases and improving overall well-being. 

This year’s walk will also be the first accessible Exercise is Medicine Canada event hosted by a campus organization. As a result, individuals with mobility impairments or intellectual disabilities – including members of the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies’ Revved Up program – will be able to participate.

“It is so exciting to see how we have been able to build from last year by making this event fully accessible,” says Katrina D’Urzo, MSc’16, Co-President of EIMC @ Queen’s. “With Move with our Docs we’re shifting the focus to getting people active in the Queen’s and Kingston communities as leaders in promoting physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.”

The walk begins at 10 am at Newlands Pavilion in Macdonald Park – at the foot of Barrie Street. Participation is free but participants are encouraged to collect donations to support the continued development of EIMC @ Queen's programs.

“Our group is very passionate about promoting the benefits of exercise to people of all abilities,” says Brittany McEachern, Kin’16, an event coordinator with EIMC @ Queen’s. “I hope the event will encourage health-care professionals and patients of all abilities to promote and live a more active lifestyle.”

Events such as Move with our Docs are just the beginning, according to Jennifer Tomasone, an assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies and faculty advisor to EIMC @ Queen’s.

“We’re starting to get people in our community engaged and understanding how physicians, patients and multi-disciplinary teams can work together to promote physical activity,” Dr. Tomasone says.

Since EIMC @ Queen’s launched in 2013, it has grown from a team of three graduate students from the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies to a team of more than 20 students, including students from the School of Medicine as well as the School of Rehabilitation Therapy.

Exercise is Medicine began in 2007 as an initiative of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association. The goal was to encourage physicians to include exercise when designing treatment care plans for patients.

The initiative has been successful in generating resources for primary care practitioners, such as disease or illness specific activity guidelines and prescriptions. Queen’s is the first Canadian university to join the Exercise Is Medicine On Campus initiative.

For more information or to register for the walk, please visit the website