The following is a news release from Forrest General:
Lace up your sneakers and make a pledge to live a longer,
healthier life! National Walking Day, celebrated April 3, is part of the
American Heart Association's movement to get more people walking—at
work and at home. This day calls on all Americans and their employers to
incorporate at least 30 minutes of brisk walking into their day.
Forrest General encourages businesses, schools, neighborhoods and
families to organize their own walk and get moving for health! It's a
great way to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and
to give your family, friends and co-workers a friendly push toward a
healthier life.
Why walk? Heart disease and stroke are the
nation's number 1 and 3 killers, and physical inactivity doubles the
risk of heart disease. Did you know that you could gain about two hours
of life expectancy for every one hour of regular, vigorous exercise?
It's easy, safe, free, has the lowest dropout rate of all exercises and
it gets results! Just 30 minutes a day can make a big difference for
your heart health.
"Forrest General and the AHA recommend 150
minutes of physical activity each week, and walking is the single most
effective form of exercise to achieve heart health," said Millie Swan,
Forrest General's Chief Marketing and Medical Staff Services Officer.
"Mississippi has a record of high rates of obesity and heart disease,
and we hope that raising awareness about such a simple exercise will
help change those statistics in our area." to Cancer Center on Arlington Loop
Here are some great ways you can get others involved!
- Host
a walk with family, friends and/or coworkers to show your commitment to
living longer, healthier lives – and make it a daily habit!
- Invite your co-workers/employees to wear their sneakers to work and get in 30 minutes of walking that day.
- Change one of your meetings to a walking meeting, and let your colleagues know why.
- Get the word out about your walk by first registering for the AHA's free, downloadable National Walking Day Tool Kit at www.Heart.org/NationalWalkingDay. Access posters, flyers, email scripts and more to easily promote National Walking Day in your community and workplace.
For
more information on Forrest General's LiveWell Center and Wellness
Services call FGH On-Call at 1-800-844-4445 or visit forrestgeneral.com.
