It’s a New Year! Let’s get it started right by being active! One of the simplest ways to be active is to walk. Walking is a great way to get your daily activity. Walking is a gentle and low impact exercise. All you need is a pair of good walking shoes and comfortable clothes. There are many benefits to walking. Click here to learn more about the benefits of walking!
We have a new glimpse into the answer to this question thanks to a data collection project that has been taking place all over the state, including right here in Chatham County. As a part of being awarded an Eat Smart, Move More Community Grant to increase student physical activity, three Chatham County schools are participating in research to measure the impact of the grant and the projects it makes possible. Click here to see what this research project has discovered so far!
Three Chatham County schools have spent the past year planning different ways to get their students more physically active, and their planning is about to pay off. Bonlee, Horton Middle, and Moncure schools will be building some exciting new projects on their campuses this spring with the help of an Eat Smart Move More grant from the State of North Carolina. Click to read more about these projects!
Robeson Creek Greenway
Take a walk. Ride a bike with a child. Enjoy nature. Relax. Spend time with someone you care about. Meet someone new.
These are just a few of things that are happening at the new Robeson Creek Greenway in Pittsboro. Although the greenway has not officially opened, there has been a lot of interest in the project. Currently, the greenway begins at 15-501 across from Pittsboro Elementary School Road and runs a quarter of a mile east along Robeson Creek. There are benches along the way for users to enjoy being out in nature or to stop for a water break. In the upcoming months, construction will be underway to create another quarter mile section of the greenway. This section will connect to Small Street and will include a small loop. Look out for more to come at Robeson Creek Greenway!
Promoting physical activity is priority in Chatham County, North Carolina, and the Nation as a key strategy to reduce obesity rates and the reach of other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Greenways and trails near where you live and work connect people of all ages and are a perfect setting for walking, bicycling, and other forms of recreation. Not only do greenways and trails provide great places to be active, but research shows that users identify “relaxation and solitude, fun and enjoyment, seeking a challenge or personal control, and being outdoors and learning about nature as benefits and motivating factors associated with using trails.” (Active Living Research. Power of Trails in Promoting Physical Activity in Communities. January 2011.)
This project has been funded through a Fit Community grant. It is a partnership between Chatham County Public Health Department, Town of Pittsboro, and several community members. For more information contact Megan Bolejack at megan.bolejack@chathamnc.org or 919 545-8442.
This week is National Sports and PE Week. Physical Education class is such an important part of the school day, and learning about fitness, sports, and sportsmanship can have lasting benefits for young people. But, don’t take it from us-take a look at the video below and see what Chatham County’s PE teachers and other Chatham County Schools staff members think!
Posted in Health Observances
Tagged National Sport and PE Week, physical activity, Physical Education