For the next 3 months, Athletic Edge Sports Medicine will be highlighting some of the sports events happening around Toronto that are held in support of different charities. The first event we'd like to highlight is one that AESM has been involved with for many years.

Kids Help Phone isn't an organization devoted to the mental health of children and teams. Counselors at Kids Help Phone are available 24 hours a day to help guide kids through difficult issues like divorce, depression and bullying.

On May 6, Kids Help Phone will once again be holding their Walk So Kids Can Talk. Each year the Kids Help Phone raises over $1 million through the Walk So Kids Can Talk. This 5 km walk takes place along the Lakeshore, and is taking place in major cities across Canada. This year's Walk So Kids Can Talk in Toronto will take place on May 6th, 2012 at 8am. Participants should go to Woodbine Park at Coxwell and Woodbine an hour before the event begins.

Like many charity walks, there are lots of participants who are otherwise not particularly physically active. If you happen to be one of those people, and you have an upcoming walk, how can you get yourself in shape?

To begin with, if you have at least a few weeks before the walk happens, you could start walking on a regular basis. Start with just 30 minutes, and add about 20% per week until you reach your goal. Most people walk at a pace of about 5 km per hour. This means it'll take you about 4 weeks to reach 60 minutes.

Stretch after each walk. We don't actually teach stretching before a walk anymore, as stretching "cold" can increase the risk of injury. It's especially important to stretch your calves if the walk your doing has any hills. Climbing or descending hills puts a lot of strain on the calves.

Wear a comfortable pair of running shoes. Running shoes are designed to give more support for the arch, and more cushioning for the foot, than regular shoes. Different foot types may require different types of running shoes, depending on the arch height of the foot.

Taking the steps should make your day at the Walk So Kids Can Talk a comfortable and enjoyable experience. If you are interested in fundraising for the Kids Help Phone Walk So Kids Can Talk you can find more information on the Walk So Kids Can Talk Website.