April 6th is Start Walking Day! Walking is a great way for everyone to get active because it doesn’t require any equipment, can be done in lots of different settings, and you can easily tailor it to your own fitness level. Adults can walk their way to the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity every week, and families can walk together to help their kids achieve their 60 minutes of daily physical activity. (Physical activity is good for dogs too, so don’t forget to bring your pooch along for his/her exercise!) As a cardiovascular exercise, walking will help you strengthen your heart and as a form of weight-bearing exercise, your bones too. Whether it’s with family or a friend, having a partner or group to walk with can be a great motivator, so see if you can get some folks together to start walking this week! The weather’s starting to warm up, so when could be a better time to start?!
If you don’t have sidewalks in your neighborhood to make safe walking easy, scope out other options- maybe walking at a local park, trail, or school, walking during your lunch hour at work, or even at a local mall or big box store! In Chatham County, there are many parks and housing developments with great trails for walking, like the Southwest Community Park near Chatham Central High School, Northwest District Park near Silk Hope, Mary Hayes Barber Holmes Park and Town Lake Park in Pittsboro, the American Tobacco Trail in Northeastern Chatham County, the CCCC campus in Pittsboro, the Western Chatham Senior Center in Siler City, and the trail system in the Briar Chapel Community north of Pittsboro. And remember, if you walk on the road, stay aware of your surroundings and walk toward oncoming traffic for better visibility. Also, be sure to wear light-colored, highly visible clothing, and it never hurts to accessorize with a light or something reflective, especially if you’re walking in the evening or early morning.
We hope that these tips will help you get motivated to start walking and enjoy the spring weather, trails and parks that Chatham County has to offer!
For Chatham County’s Physical Activity Resource Guide, a map and listing of facilities for physical activity in the county, see: http://www.chathamnc.org/Index.aspx?page=817.
For more information about Start Walking Day and resources to help you start, check out the American Heart Association’s “Start!” Website at: http://www.startwalkingnow.org/home.jsp.
