SANDPOINT — Local practitioner Jane Hoover is out to prove the power of touch as she invites the community to grab a Valentine and join in for a "healthy heart" walk Saturday.

Studies show that walking can alleviate symptoms of some chronic disease, and in an email to the Daily Bee, Hoover said studies have also shown that touch drops blood pressure and promotes happiness.

"The more you connect with others, even in small ways, the happier you will be," Hoover wrote. "So Instead of just touching someone to fulfill your role or social obligation, really touch."

Hoover said she was recently chatting with an elderly woman who told Hoover she was suffering from a "lack of being touched" since her husband died two years prior. Hoover then began to wonder what people do if they don't have a life partner when being close to someone is "such a simple cure."

Hoover read that the comfort zone of personal space for Americans is two to four feet, while in Latin America and the Middle East it is one to two feet. She then went to Ecuador with her husband and saw that grandmas and teens were holding hands, women walked with their arms linked together and men walked close enough to each other that their shoulders were touching.

Some advice from Hoover: hug your partner, but don't just hug them; feel your arms around their waist, feel the shirt buttons on your cheek and the rise and fall of their chest when they breathe. Hug your parent or grandparent and notice what it is that you love about them. Sit close to your kids on the couch. Tuck them into bed and cuddle for a few minutes.

"Shake a hand or pat a back, but really notice it," Hoover wrote. "Sit closer. Put the phone down."

Hoover will talk about the importance of touch and connection during the one-hour walk inspired by Valentine's Day and sponsored by Kaniksu Land Trust and the Park Rx program, which encourages all people to get outside and walk.

The walk is free and will begin at 10 a.m. at Sand Creek trailhead by City Beach — and there will be tulips and chocolate for those who attend.