Get Ready, Get Set, and Get Walking on National Walking Day
On April 3, Americans are encouraged to ditch their chair and take steps toward a more active, healthier future to celebrate the American Heart Association’s National Walking Day. To help get started, the American Heart Association’s Walking Path’s app can locate a nearby walking path and allow the user to create their own.
On National Walking Day, Americans are encouraged to spend at least 30 minutes of their day briskly walking. The American Heart Association works with employers to make National Walking Day a workplace event by allowing employees to wear comfortable clothes and sneakers and participate in group fitness walks. Workplaces can register to participate in National Walking Day activities and receive free tools at www.startwalkingnow.org.
Walkers can find previously mapped walking paths using the American Heart Association’s Walking Path’s app. Walkers can also use the app to map out their own route and post it for other walkers to follow.
Physical activity is critical to being healthy, but less than 50 percent of adults get enough daily exercise. Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week to see the health benefits of physical activity such as lower blood pressure, improved bone health, weight maintenance after weight loss, better sleep, and more energy. Walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity and is a simple way to make a positive lifestyle change. The American Heart Association hopes people will continue to make physical activity a priority beyond National Walking Day and find the fun in being fit.
For more information about National Walking Day or to download the American Heart Association’s Walking Path’s app, visit www.startwalkingnow.org.
About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases — America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers — the association funds cutting-edge research, conducts lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocates to protect public health. For more information about the American Heart Association, visit www.heart.org.