Free Walk Across NWArkansas; Register Today

Do you feel stressed? Has your fitness routine lagged due to COVID-19 or for other reasons? You might need a new challenge to get back on track and Walk Across NWArkansas can help. Register for the fall 2020 Walk Across NWArkansas program lasting now until Nov. 15.

The eight-week exercise program is organized each spring and fall by the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, with the goal of helping Arkansans improve their health. Participation is free.

Online registration is available at uaex.edu/nwa-wellness and on Facebook @NWALivingWell you can receive additional support with stress management, nutrition tips, healthy recipes and more.

Last year, 524 Arkansans statewide participated in the Fall 2019 Walk Across Arkansas, logging 798,340 minutes, with 104 teams from 37 counties walking. Many of those participants reported they had more energy, slept better, controlled stress, strengthened relationships, lost weight or inches and improved their blood panels and blood pressure.

Physical activity can lower the risk of early death, coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and some cancers, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exercise also helps with weight loss and can improve mood and energy level and help us stress less.

National physical activity guidelines recommend that adults achieve at least 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity and two strength training sessions per week, and youth need at least 60 minutes of exercise daily.

To participate, find a few friends, classmates, family members, or co-workers to form a team and register online. If you do not know others that are interested, contact your local County Extension Agent as we have teams welcoming additional members. Joining a team provides support to help you reach your goals, but team members do not have to be physically active together. Then, through Nov. 15, just record the number of minutes you spend walking or getting any other form of exercise. You can do any type of physical activity as long as you increase your heart rate or break a sweat.

Minutes can be logged online daily or weekly, or you can contact your local County Extension Agent for paper forms. Team captains can log in minutes for team members, when each participant creates a username and password connected to an email address. Even if you do not have an email address, this program is still for you. For more information about Walk Across NWArkansas, contact the Washington County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent Anna Goff by email at agoff@uaex.edu or you can call or text 479-841-1212.  In Benton County contact Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Trudy McManus at tmcmanus@uaex.edu or 479-271-1060.

Have some fun this fall with friends and family — physically distancing of course — and get healthy with Walk Across NWArkansas.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to 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.