Since she got involved as a member of Surrey Trekkers in 1999, Sandi Walton has walked an estimated 5,000 kilometres with the club.

"It sounds like a lot but it's actually not - it's nothing compared to some others in the club who have walked well over 20,000 kilometres," Walton told the Now.

Walton handles membership duties for Surrey Trekkers, a walking club for people of all ages.

The average age of the group's 85 members is around 55, Walton said.

Five-and 10-kilometre walks, mostly of the morning kind, are scheduled on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday throughout Surrey and the rest of Metro Vancouver.

"Our motto is fun, fitness, friends, and we tie in food as the fourth 'F' in that, because we support our local pubs and restaurants after our walks," Walton said. "Sometimes they don't know what hit them when 25 of us walk in."

Walking promotes balance, improved posture and leg strength, she said.

"I joined basically for my cardiovascular health," Walton added. "I studied my genealogy and discovered that heart disease runs in my family, so I wanted to prevent that."

The goal of Surrey Trekkers is to "promote good health and physical fitness by encouraging people to enjoy outdoor exercise in pleasant, stress-free settings," according to a post on the group's website.

The club's next 10-kilometre "map walk" happens at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26 starting at the Softball City facility in South Surrey. Also planned is a "tri-park" walk on Canada Day that connects Bear Creek, Green Timbers and Holland parks.

Instructions and maps are provided with every walk, and pre-registration isn't required. For new members, the first five walks are free; after that, it's $1 or $2 per walk.

To get involved in Surrey Trekkers, contact Walton at 604-584-2980 or visit www.surreytrekkers.com.

Twitter @tomzillich

tzillich@thenownewspaper.com