The 25th Walk Kansas wellness challenge starts Sunday but teams and individuals can still register over the next week. Monique Koerner with the Cottonwood District of K-State Research and Extension said 23 teams are on the roster in her district, which includes Barton and Ellis counties.
During the next eight weeks, from March 30 through May 24, participants will log the miles they walk and follow their progress online as a team as they travel the length of the state of Kansas or beyond. Every 15 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise counts as one mile. People can walk, jog, run, roll, bike, swim or do whatever they enjoy doing to live more healthfully. If everyone on a six-person team exercises 150 minutes (2.5 hours) a week for eight weeks, the team will walk more than the 410-mile width of Kansas. Progress is shown on a map at WalkKansas.org.
“This is a good workplace wellness activity,” Koerner said. “There is also a solo option.” She also noted that participants don’t have to be in Kansas; some families have registered teams with members in different states.
The Department of Health and Human Services and other wellness sites recommend adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week.
Teams can have as few as four and as many as eight members. And, while the original Walk Kansas challenge was a straight walk from east to west, there are now four routes the teams can choose:
• The 8 Wonders Walk, 2.5 hours per week,
• Follow U.S. Route 56, 3.3 hours per week,
• Cross Country, 4 hours per week, and
• Little Balkans to Nicodemus, 6 hours per week.
The Purple Power Trail is for participants who choose to go solo and are not on a team. It begins in Manhattan, the home of Kansas State University. All trails unlock interesting points on the map along the way, giving participants a glimpse into Kansas history and attractions.
The online reporting system will again help participants track their fruit, vegetable and water consumption, in addition to daily exercise minutes.
Participants can attend Walk Kansas webinars on April 16, 23 and May 7 and 14, at 12:10 p.m., and they will receive weekly newsletters. Walk Kansas apparel and accessories can be purchased online. Brenda Walton at the Barton County office of the Cottonwood Extension District, 3007 10th St., Great Bend, said she has a few T-shirts in assorted sizes on hand so that people can avoid the shipping charges. These can be purchased on-site while the supplies last.
Teams are invited to choose a captain and a team name, and register online at WalkKansas.org. The cost is $10 per person.
