Walk Across Arkansas teams rack up 1.5 million-plus exercise minutes
By the U of A Cooperative Extension Service
Fast facts
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- Annual Walk Across Arkansas teams rack up more than1.5 million exercise minutes
- Conway County walkers record most minutes
(200 words)
LITTLE ROCK – Teams and individuals taking part in Walk Across Arkansas, one of the largest public health initiatives in the state, recorded more than 1.5 million minutes of exercise over eight weeks.
This year’s Walk Across Arkansas event began Feb. 16 and ended April 12.
“The idea is simple. Walk Across Arkansas is meant to encourage people to take that first step toward making exercise a part of their daily lives,” said LaVona Traywick, associate professor of gerontology, for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “After eight weeks, many of our ‘temporary’ exercisers become permanent exercisers.”
This year, Conway County teams rose to the top with the most minutes. The Conway County PJM Soleful Strutters I was the winning team with 58,297 minutes. The top exerciser in this year’s event was Norma Waley of Van Buren County’s Highway 10 Strollers. She amassed 13,370 minutes during the eight weeks.
Here are the statistics for this year’s edition:
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- Total minutes walked: 1,573,916
- Total hours walked: 26,232
- Estimated miles walked: 78,696
- Estimated healthcare savings from all that exercise: $157,392
- Number of participants: 1,010.
Even though Walk Across Arkansas is over, information on how the program works is available online at: http://www.uaex.uada.edu/life-skills-wellness/health/fitness/walk-across-arkansas.aspx.
Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons
regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin,
religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any
other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu
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