As a toddler, you might have memories of taking your first steps. If not, your family likely has pictures or videos of the event. It's a pretty big deal at first, and then it becomes routine. While it might be second nature to many of us, the benefits go far beyond using it as a normal activity of daily living. Former race walk champion, registered kinesiologist and clinical exercise physiologist Sarah Zahab knows the important role walking can play in our lives. In this episode, the author of Walk Your Way Fit, joined the conversation to talk about the many benefits of adding walking to your exercise plan.

Walk Your Way Fit https://ecs.page.link/a1VGP

Sarah Zahab

Sarah Zahab is a registered kinesiologist, clinical exercise physiologist, and group fitness instructor with over 25 years of full-time fitness industry experience. She studied human kinetics at the University of Ottawa and graduated with honors (magna cum laude) with a bachelor of health sciences degree and a minor in biology. Zahab is constantly continuing her education with various courses, workshops, and conferences and regularly reviews journals and evidence-based research from multiple sources.

A former international fitness competitor, Zahab was fortunate to represent Canada at the Ms. Fitness World competition four times, placing in the top 20 for three of those competitions (2004, 2005, and 2007). She has been a nationally ranked race walker and is the 2012 and 2014 winner of the Ontario race walk championships (5,000 meters) as well as the 2016 winner of the Canadian Indoor National Championship (3,000 meters). She enjoys leading walking groups and regularly partakes in a vigorous walking regimen herself. A dancer from the age of three, she also has a background in competitive dance (jazz, tap, and hip-hop) as well as an extensive background in ballet and Middle Eastern dance.

Zahab presents fitness workshops at conferences in Canada and internationally. She is passionate about elevating health care practitioners' knowledge and skills to help the general population improve overall health and wellness. She is often sought out to present, and she draws record numbers of delegates to her sessions. She was awarded the Canfitpro Canadian Presenter of the Year Award in 2023.

Zahab is the owner of Continuum Fitness & Movement Performance, a multidisciplinary clinic in Ottawa that has assisted 12 athletes in successfully participating in the Olympic Games. She is a former fitness expert for the CTV Morning Live television show (Ottawa), where she provided expert advice to their large viewing audience for over 10 years. She has also authored articles featured in various publications.