UACES Facebook Fall edition of Walk Across Arkansas begins Sept. 26
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Fall edition of Walk Across Arkansas begins Sept. 26

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Sept. 19, 2016 

Fast Facts:

  • Registration and info at: www.uaex.uada.edu/walk
  • Fall Edition of Walk Across Arkansas runs Sept. 26-Nov. 18 

(299 words)

(Newsrooms: with file art of spring winners at www.flickr.com/photos/uacescomm/26819045955, www.flickr.com/photos/uacescomm/26214635723)

LITTLE ROCK – Been slacking this summer? Need a little motivation before the calorie-laden holidays begin? Walk Across Arkansas may be just what you need. 

Winning Team 2

Walk Across Arkansas returns to its twice-a-year format with the fall 2016 edition beginning Sept. 26. The eight-week effort to encourage people to get off the couch or away from the desk is one of the largest public health initiatives in Arkansas. 

Participation is easy. Gather a team of two to 10 people and register at www.uaex.uada.edu/walk.  Be ready, come Monday, Sept. 26, to start hitting the pavement. Record the number of minutes you walk or do other exercise for eight weeks. Participants who report their minutes all eight weeks of the event will earn an incentive. The event winds up Nov. 18. 

“The hardest thing about making exercise a regular part of your life is taking that first step,” said Lisa Washburn, associate professor-health for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “With Walk Across Arkansas, you have the inspiration and influence of teammates, officemates and friends to get you going.” 

Last year, Walk Across Arkansas participants racked up more than a 1.57 million minutes of exercise time with an estimated healthcare cost savings of $157,400 for the entire state. 

“Of course, people aren’t walking across the state from border to border, but there are people – some 5,000 of them – walking all over the state to be part of this,” Washburn said. “And over eight weeks, people get into the habit of exercising and connecting with people – and many have said this has put them on the road to making exercise a regular part of their lives.”    

To register, go to www.uaex.uada.edu/walk.  For more information about taking steps to lifestyle changes, visit https://www.uaex.uada.edu/life-skills-wellness/personal-finance/small-steps-health-wealth.aspx.

 

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture 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 as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research 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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