When Aileen Covert joined the Senior Striders walking club a few years ago, she had some problems getting around.

Not any more.

“I’ve improved a lot over the years, my legs are stronger and my stamina is much better,” she said before heading out for a recent beach walk with her friends.

Covert will be 77 come October, and she feels great.

Helen Shields is the leader of this particular pack, a group of eight to 15 seniors who meet at the Bayview Senior Center each week to take a brisk walk for an hour or so somewhere on the island.

“Often, we’ll head out to a forest trail — South Whidbey State Park or the ones in Putney and Saratoga woods — or to the beach if the tide’s out,” Shields said.

Every so often, the group makes a day of it by having everyone board the bus near where they live for a hike at Ebey’s Landing or the beach below Admiralty Lighthouse.

“It makes for a fun day,” she added.

When she retired as a real estate agent a few years ago, Shields decided to volunteer, and started driving folks to their doctor’s appointments.

After awhile, she realized she wanted to share one of her personal passions with the people she met at the center, combining hiking and fun.

“I got the idea of starting up the Striders because I liked walking on forest trails, but it gets kind of boring when I’m alone,” she explained. “For myself, if I have someone to walk with, it goes by quicker, especially with this group; we laugh a lot.”

Shileds admitted she isn’t the world’s best self-starter and said that Senior Striders is a great motivator.

This league of women walkers — mostly women but with a few men, too — meets at 9 a.m., then carpools to a destination Shields has picked.

“We walk at a pace that everyone feels comfortable with,” she said. “Whidbey is an amazing island and we’re taking full advantage of all the beauty that surrounds us.”

There’s another benefit, Shields said.

“There have been some really good friendships developed over the years,” she said. “Walking with us is a great way to learn the trails and meet some interesting people.”

Mel Sullivan, spry at age 70, certainly had that in mind when he joined the Striders a few months ago.

“One of the young ladies convinced me I might be able to hook up with someone,” he said. “That sounded like a good idea, and I have made some good friends, but no real girl friend. Yet.”

One of Shields’ friends, Mona Reardon of Clinton, showed up for her first venture onto island trails with the very latest in cool hiking accessories, a SwissGear hiking pole.

Made of durable aluminum alloy, the red walking stick featured a cork hand grip with adjustable strap, anti-shock design, carbide tip, adjustable telescopic sections and, just in case someone wanders off the beaten path, a nifty built-in compass.

“I encourage everyone to have a walking pole; even dry trails have slippery needles on them,” Shields said. “Good walking shoes are a must, naturally.”

Indeed, the poles — whether made of metal, driftwood or bamboo/carbon — came in handy as the group trekked to Maxwelton Beach for a stroll on the tide flats; the boat launch ramp was slimy with recently washed-up seaweed and the poles aided in keeping everyone’s footing steady on the sloping ramp.

Shields final word of advice? “Get outside and go for it!”

For men of a certain age searching for something a bit more spirited, Paul Goldfinger leads a weekly senior walk of five to eight miles, not all them on flat terrain.

For more information on the Senior Striders and the other fun programs available to South End seniors, call senior center director Rosemary Leahy at 321-1600.

Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or jvanderford@southwhidbeyrecord.com.