Walk Kansas 2020 Begins March 15th!

Ashley Svaty, Nutrition, Food Safety and Health Agent

Spring is in the air and it’s time to make a promise to yourself to be more active and make lifestyle choices that support healthy living! Walk Kansas, the popular K-State Research and Extension program that encourages physical activity and healthy eating, runs March 15 through May 9. Participants can sign up online at www.walkkansas.org or through their local K-State Research and Extension office. The cost to participate is $10 per person, which includes access to the online tracker, a weekly newsletter with tips and recipes, program resources, and local activities. Walk Kansas t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, and sweatshirts are available in Post Rock District for an additional cost. 

Gather up your team of 5 or more friends, family, neighbors or coworkers to build a supportive team. Team members record their own activity online each week. Participants do not have to walk or participate in other types of activity together, or even live in Kansas. Many teams form with family members or friends in other parts of the state or country. Teams choose one of the three following challenges to reach during the 8-weeks of Walk Kansas:

• Challenge 1:  Discover the 8 Wonders of Kansas! This journey requires each person to get 2 ½ hours of moderate activity per week.
• Challenge 2:  Go Cross Country from Troy (NE) to Elkhart (SW), which requires 4 hours of activity per person/week.
• Challenge 3:  Little Balkans to Nicodemus – a trail that takes you through SE Kansas and then up to Nicodemus with interesting stops along the way. This requires 6 hours of activity per person/week.

Each person logs minutes of moderate/vigorous activity and these are converted to Walk Kansas miles (15 minute = 1 mile) on the website. Any type of physical activity counts, not just walking.

While physical activity is at the heart of Walk Kansas, the program will have a couple of new twists this year. One focuses on the Mediterranean style of eating, which emphasizes lots of fruits and vegetables, choosing whole grains, eating more beans and legumes, reducing added sugars, using olive and canola oil, and more.  The second twist centers on introducing participants to nine shared lifestyle traits of the Blue Zones, places around the world where people are known to live measurably longer and healthier lives. These traits, and ways to incorporate them into your life, will be introduced during the eight -week program. Your health is so much more than a number on the scale. More information and registration for Walk Kansas is available at www.walkkansas.org or through a K-State Research and Extension office.