Take a walk for wellness

Walk the Loop during National Walking Month

October is National Walking Month, and it’s an ideal month to get outdoors and walk. The temperatures are usually pretty moderate and the autumn colors beautiful.

A brisk walk several times a week can provide several benefits for health and wellness, including managing weight and reducing the risk of developing many chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, osteoporosis and perhaps even several cancers. In addition, regular exercise can help manage stress, reduce depression, boost energy, possibly reduce or delay the onset of dementia, and lead to an improved quality of sleep.

These are just but a few of the many health benefits from exercise. The late Dr. Robert N. Butler, first director of the National Institute on Aging, was once quoted as saying, “If exercise could be packed in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.”

Lawrence Memorial Hospital is a major sponsor of WellCommons.

The Centers for Disease Control notes that only about 1 in 5 American adults meet the recommended physical activity guidelines. These are:

• A minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking.

• For people who exercise with higher-pace activities like running, the guideline is a minimum of 75 minutes a week.

• For people trying to lose or control their weight, a minimum of 300 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity.

• Perform activities or exercises at least twice a week to help strengthen major muscle groups. For older adults, incorporate exercises that improve flexibility and balance.

All that is needed for walking are a good pair of walking or running shoes and a safe place to walk. It is important to select shoes that are designed for the type of pronation (the way the foot rolls) that you have. An athletic footwear store can usually advise you on shoe options for your foot type. The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine recommends that walking or running shoes be replaced every 300 to 500 miles of use.

Our community offers many opportunities to walk indoors and out, including neighborhoods; city and state parks; school tracks when school is not in session; and the indoor track and outdoor trails at Sports Pavilion Lawrence. For more information, visit sportspavilion.lawrenceks.org or call 785-330-7355.

Lawrence Memorial Hospital is proud to be part of two programs to encourage walking in October. The community is invited to participate in our annual WALK-tober program. Track your physical activity, including walking, during the month. Walkers who achieve at least 600 minutes of exercise will receive a small wellness reward at the end of the month. In addition, WALK-tober participants will receive several emails or snail mails with nutrition, exercise and health tips, plus healthy recipes.

To enroll in the free WALK-tober program, go to lmh.org and click on Wellness Resources, then Classes and Events, and search WALK-tober. You may also call 785-505-3066 to enroll by phone. Enrollment closes at noon this Thursday.

In conjunction with community partners including Live Well Lawrence and Lawrence Parks and Recreation, LMH is co-sponsoring the Walk the Lawrence Loop program in October. On six evenings in October, the community is invited to walk a different section — approximately 3 miles — of the finished portions of the Lawrence Loop.

The Lawrence Loop is a trail that will soon circle Lawrence’s perimeter and is perfect for walkers, runners or cyclists. Join us for one, two or all six walks and learn more about the history, nature and the neighborhoods that the Loop connects.

Bring water and wear good shoes. Walkers will depart at 5:30 p.m. from designated departure points along the Loop. There is no fee and no advance registration is needed.

If you don’t want to walk the route back to the walk departure point or don’t have a second vehicle parked at the end of the walk, Lawrence Parks and Recreation will provide a shuttle bus to return walkers to the trail head. Each walk will have a rest station that will provide a water stop sponsored by these community partners: the LMH Performance and Wellness Center, Lawrence Public Library, Willow Center, Ad Astra Running, LiveWell Lawrence and Cottonwood Inc.

“Most people know that walking is good for physical health, but it is also good for social health,” said Gayle Sigurdson, recreation programmer for the city of Lawrence. “Slowing down to a walk lets us enjoy conversation and take time to notice the area through which we are passing.”

The walk dates and departure points are:

• Tuesday, Oct. 3, Sports Pavilion Lawrence, 100 Rock Chalk Lane

• Thursday, Oct. 5, Sports Pavilion Lawrence

• Tuesday, Oct. 10, Family Church of Lawrence, 906 North 1464 Road

• Thursday, Oct. 12, Sunflower Elementary School, 2521 Inverness Drive

• Tuesday, Oct. 17, Southwind movie theater, 3433 Iowa St.

• Thursday, Oct. 19, 910 E. 29th Street

If it rains, the walk will be canceled.

For more information on Walk the Loop, go to lmh.org/wellnessresources/classesandevents and search Walk the Loop, or Lawrence Loop on Facebook. Or you may call 785-832-7909 or 785-505-3066 for more information.

— Aynsley Anderson Sosinski, MA, RN, is community education coordinator at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, which is a major sponsor of WellCommons. She is a Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach. She can be reached at aynsley.anderson@lmh.org.