When the weather outside is frightful, Calgary walkers find the mall delightful

As the temperature in Calgary dips lower, the number of so-called mall walkersgets higher.

Thecue for SusanArthurs and her husband to comeindoorsis when the temperature dips below 12 C or when the streets become"slippy".

"[We're] trying to get our 10,000 steps in," says Susan, one of several Calgarians, mostly seniors, who hit the local shopping malls for their walks in the winter.

Her husband, James, had a heart attack recently, and heard about others who walk in MarketMall, in the northwest of the city,for exercise.

"It's nice and warm, it's cozy," says James."You can stop and have a drink if you wish, do some shopping," he said, adding that he planned to hit the Bay and The Source for a spot of holiday shopping once the stores opened at 9 a.m.

LorraineDoighas been strolling around Market Mall with friends for the past three years,whenever the weather outside gets frightful.

"We come every morning, threetimes a week, and we do circuits around the mall here for exercise," said Doig.

"When we realized the mall was open, we just thought this is a good place to go. It's level and warm."

Doig and her friends figurethat three circuits around the shopping centre is a little over 1.7 kilometres.

Instead of taking in nature, the scenery is swapped for merchandise displays which Doig admits is distracting at times.

When a friend couldn't resist a recent bargain, some of the other walkersteased them.

"They gave us some ribbing on Black Friday because my friend had a parcel. So they were saying, 'Are you here for shopping or here for walking?'"

Helena Lutk prefers the mall because she just had surgery, and needs to be wary of falls.

But it's the added social benefit that she enjoys most.

"The time passes quickly because you talk with your friends and keep walking and look in the windows and it's fun," said Lutk.

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