Do you feel stressed? Has your fitness routine lagged due to covid-19 or for other reasons? You might need a new challenge to get back on track.
This year's Walk Across NWA spring exercise program is going to be combined with the spring litter cleanup.
The result is a new program called Do Your Part and Walk Across NWA.
Registration is open now and the program lasts the five weeks, from March 29 to April 30. Online registration is available at https://qrgo.page.link/nZ4nR. Participation is free.
By registering for the spring program, participants will gain access to Health and Wellness resources from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and make a difference in the environment.
More details are located on the following sites: uaex.uada.edu/nwa-wellness and uaex.uada.edu/nwastormwater.
Additional support with stress management, nutrition tips, healthy recipes and more can be found on Facebook @NWALivingWell.
Last year, 569 Arkansans statewide participated in the Fall 2020 Walk Across Arkansas, logging 993,002 minutes, with 141 teams from 48 counties walking. Many of those participants reported they had more energy, slept better, controlled stress, strengthened relationships, lost weight or inches and improved their blood panels and blood pressure.
Physical activity can lower the risk of early death, coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and some cancers, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exercise also helps with weight loss and can improve mood and energy level and help us stress less.
National physical activity guidelines recommend that adults achieve at least 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity and two strength training sessions per week, and youth need at least 60 minutes of exercise daily.
To participate, find a few friends, classmates, family members or coworkers to form a team and register online. If you do not know others that are interested but want to be on a team, sign up and let us know as we have teams welcoming additional members. Joining a team provides support to help you reach your goals, but team members do not have to be physically active together.
Then, through April 30, just record details on litter collected and the number of minutes you spend walking, jogging, gardening, or getting any other form of exercise. You can do any type of physical activity to increase your heart rate or break a sweat.
Minutes can be logged online daily or entered weekly, or you can contact your local County Extension Agents for paper forms. Team captains can log in minutes for team members. Even if you do not have an email address, this program is still for you.
For more information about Walk Across NWA, contact the Washington County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent Anna Goff by email at [email protected] or you can call or text 479-841-1212 or office 479-444-1755.
Have some fun this spring with friends and family -- physically distancing, of course -- and make a difference in your environment as you get healthy with Do Your Part and Walk Across NWA.
Special thanks to the following: The University of Arkansas Center for Human Nutrition for support and contacts for the program's online Speaker Series, Boston Mountain Solid Waste District for litter cleanup supplies, and Beaver Water District for water bottles.