It’s as simple as putting one step in front of another. That’s the idea behind Walk Kansas, an eight-week program that starts April 3, designed to promote activity, good nutrition and better health. Even Kansans who are not routinely active find Walk Kansas to be an easy way to get moving.
The low-cost fitness program attracted over 16,000 participants across the state last year. It has also become a popular worksite wellness program in Kansas with many employers encouraging– or sponsoring– employees to participate. Last year, more than 300 people participated in Ellis County and logged enough miles to circle the globe 1.7 times.
Groups of six people, one serving as a captain, work together toward a common goal – typically to exercise at least 150 minutes per person per week. Though the team does not actually walk across Kansas, by exercising 150 minutes per week a team of six people would be able to cover the 423-mile distance across Kansas in eight weeks.
Teams that want a greater challenge can choose to (figuratively) walk a new meandering diagonal route across the state, which totals 750 miles and requires about 4 hours of exercise per team member per week. A third challenge is to walk the equivalent of the perimeter of Kansas – 1,200 miles – with each person on a team logging six hours of exercise per week.
The cost to participate is $8 per person which covers weekly newsletters, extra group activities and statewide program support. Optional Walk Kansas apparel can be ordered at an additional cost.
Register your team by March 24; walking begins April 3 through May 28. Teams can be registered on the newly-updated Walk Kansas website at www.walkkansas.org. Captains should initiate the process by registering the team first, then team members will receive an automatic email invitation to join the online team. Paper registration materials are also available at the Extension Office, 601 Main Street in Hays, or online at www.ellis.ksu.edu under “Health and Nutrition.”
Team members record minutes of exercise and cups of fruits and vegetables eaten each day. They can also track strengthening exercises and water consumption, if desired, and each team member can report his/her own totals on the new Walk Kansas website themselves. Or they can report weekly totals to their captain to report once a week for the whole team. The website converts minutes of exercise into miles. Teams can track their progress across or around the state on the website map.
Physical activity can be done individually or in groups, on a treadmill at home, in your neighborhood, or at a gym – whatever works for each individual. Although walking is easy for most people, any activity can count for Walk Kansas as long as it is done at a moderate to vigorous level for at least 10 consecutive minutes at a time. So, if you play basketball, ride a bike, do water aerobics or hoe in the garden, Walk Kansas is still a great fit for you.
Team members who wear an activity tracker (such as a wrist tracker or pedometer) can start counting steps for Walk Kansas after they reach the threshold of 6,000 steps in a day. Report 15 minutes of Walk Kansas activity for every 2,000 steps taken above 6,000.
Health experts know that exercising controls weight, reduces risk of premature death from heart disease, helps to alleviate arthritis, reduces the risk of diabetes, decreases blood pressure, helps older adults become stronger and remain independent, helps lower cholesterol levels, decreases anxiety and helps to alleviate depression. Physician Robert H. Butler once said, “If exercise could be purchased in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.”
For more information or help to register your Walk Kansas team, contact the Ellis County Extension Office, 601 Main Street, Suite A, Hays, 785-628-9430.
Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.