Walk Your Way to Better Health in 2009

With the start of a new year, many people resolve to spend more time with family and friends, quit smoking, enjoy life more, get out of debt, or enjoy better health. For those who have resolved to do the latter, the “Walk New Jersey Point-to-Point Challenge” can help.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Department of Family and Community Health Sciences and 4-H Youth Development are two sponsors of a statewide initiative called “Get Moving–Get Healthy New Jersey,” which aims to help New Jerseyans to eat healthier and increase their physical activity to reduce obesity. Get Moving–Get Healthy New Jersey has just launched Walk New Jersey Point to Point, a new online walking program. This program allows participants to choose their own goals and keep track of their progress through an online activity log.

Walk New Jersey Point to Point is a program designed to encourage youth and adults to walk across New Jersey — virtually, of course — from Cape May Point to High Point. The program can be initiated in the classroom, by a group of friends, or individually through the website, www.getmovinggethealthynj.rutgers.edu/walking_program.

On the website, participants will find helpful tips on everything from how to operate a pedometer to choosing the right gear for walking. For those who enjoy other activities, such as bike riding and aerobics, the website provides step equivalents. Other tools, such as the body mass index and target heart rate calculators, help walkers to make goals and get off to a strong start.

For those individuals whose New Year’s goal is to lose weight, Walk New Jersey Point to Point is a great way to get motivated and get moving. Walking can help individuals to lose weight, maintain weight loss, and reduce the risk of heart disease and type-2 diabetes. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends about 30 minutes of moderate activity each day in addition to customary activities. In order to manage weight effectively, several studies have suggested that walking 10,000 steps a day is about the right level of activity.

Most people average just 2,000–3,000 steps a day. Walk New Jersey Point to Point can help participants to walk 10,000 steps a day in a fun and healthful way.