Today, countless Monroe County residents and others across the country will take a step towards being Healthy For Good and walk to commemorate the American Heart Association’s National Walking Day.
The Healthy For Good movement is designed to inspire all Americans to live healthier lives and create lasting change. It focuses on the simple idea that making small changes today can create a difference for generations to come. Join the movement and move more with us throughout the month of April! Studies have suggested that moderate physical activity has many proven benefits for overall health, such as lowering blood pressure, increasing HDL, or “good”, cholesterol and controlling weight. All these changes help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers, with stroke being the No. 3 killer in Rochester.
The American Heart Association recommends that adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity or a combination of both each week. Kids should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
The American Heart Association kicks off the month-long campaign on National Walking Day, April 5th, to encourage people to move more by increasing their physical activity. The campaign is broken down into weekly themes. Week one focuses on walking and the basic tools you need to get started. Walking is one of the safest, least expensive, and most sustainable forms of exercise. Weeks two and three focus on recreational sports and outdoor activities the whole family can do together, and week four focuses on mindful movement and reducing stress by doing activities such as yoga, Pilates and tai chi.
There are 30 official American Heart Association (AHA) designated walking paths right here in Monroe County. Many of the paths are sponsored by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. Residents are encouraged to use these AHA-designated paths to walk for 30 minutes a day.
The establishment of the walking paths is the AHA’s national initiative that champions walking because it has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity. Some of the Monroe County walking paths can be found at:
- Chili’s Union Park
- Fairport Public Library
- Johanna Perrin Middle School in Fairport
- Around the perimeter of the Ogden Farmers Library.
- Webster Park
- Mendon Ponds Park, including Quaker Pond Trail Loop and Nature Trail Birdsong & Swamp Trail.
- Ellison Park, including Indian Landing Trail and Overlook Trail.
Be part of the movement, visit a walking path near you and register for your free toolkit at www.heart.org/movemoretoolkit. For more information about walking paths, living a healthy lifestyle or the 2017 Rochester Heart Walk & Run, April 22nd, contact Jason Stulb, Senior Corporate Relations Director at [email protected] or call #585.820.4013. Follow us @HeartROC #ROCHeartWalkRun #HealthyForGood today!