|
|
|
Every day Edna Harris ties on her walking shoes and logs three miles, rain or shine. She’s a self-motivator. Folks who need a little encouragement can find it with a Walk Kansas program that kicks off at 2 p.m. Sunday at Lemon Park.
The idea is simple. Each spring for nine years, thousands of Kansans have figuratively lined up on the Kansas-Colorado border to begin a journey across the state. If each member of a team of six walks two hours and 30 minutes each week, they will reach Missouri in the eight weeks of the program.
“It’s been successful all across the state,” said Jodi Drake, Pratt County agent for K-State Research and Extension, who is coordinating the program. “It works so well because it’s team oriented — you don’t just let yourself down if you don’t step up, but your team as well.”
The program also encourages participants to count the servings of fruits and vegetables they eat each day.
“When you have to track these things it makes you aware of how much you’re not eating,” Drake noted.
The recommendation is for two cups of fruit each day and two and a half cups of vegetables. Less than 20 percent of Kansans meet the recommendation. Only about half meet the goal for physical activity.
Registration for Walk Kansas, with a $5 fee per person, may be made through Friday by stopping by the Extension office at 824 West First or calling 672-6121. Last year 25 teams participated; only half that number have registered so far this year.
Mrs. Harris has already registered a team. She tries each year to recruit people who aren’t regular walkers in the hopes they will make daily exercise a habit.
She started the habit when she was a librarian at the old Liberty Junior High and her son was in high school. She would walk the two miles to school from her home on Lake Road, and her son would bring the car, which she would drive home.
For the last 20 or 30 years, she has set a goal of three miles a day. At 84, she begins to tire after two miles, so she walks two miles in the morning and the third in the afternoon. She can still manage a mile in about 18 minutes.
She discovered that she enjoys walking, even when it’s laps inside. After she settles into a pace, she can use the walking time for devotions or to plan meals.
In nice weather, she walks along Lake Road to the junction with U.S. 281, or goes north or south on Country Club Road.
During the winter, she walks in her basement — 100 laps is a mile.
“It’s almost like I have to do it,” she said. “If I forget, I’ve even gotten up out of bed to walk that third mile. It just has to be done.”
The walking pays off.
“I notice that I really don’t get tired,” she said. “I can do a day’s work without getting tired.”
Every day Edna Harris ties on her walking shoes and logs three miles, rain or shine. She’s a self-motivator. Folks who need a little encouragement can find it with a Walk Kansas program that kicks off at 2 p.m. Sunday at Lemon Park.
The idea is simple. Each spring for nine years, thousands of Kansans have figuratively lined up on the Kansas-Colorado border to begin a journey across the state. If each member of a team of six walks two hours and 30 minutes each week, they will reach Missouri in the eight weeks of the program.
“It’s been successful all across the state,” said Jodi Drake, Pratt County agent for K-State Research and Extension, who is coordinating the program. “It works so well because it’s team oriented — you don’t just let yourself down if you don’t step up, but your team as well.”
The program also encourages participants to count the servings of fruits and vegetables they eat each day.
“When you have to track these things it makes you aware of how much you’re not eating,” Drake noted.
The recommendation is for two cups of fruit each day and two and a half cups of vegetables. Less than 20 percent of Kansans meet the recommendation. Only about half meet the goal for physical activity.
Registration for Walk Kansas, with a $5 fee per person, may be made through Friday by stopping by the Extension office at 824 West First or calling 672-6121. Last year 25 teams participated; only half that number have registered so far this year.
Mrs. Harris has already registered a team. She tries each year to recruit people who aren’t regular walkers in the hopes they will make daily exercise a habit.
She started the habit when she was a librarian at the old Liberty Junior High and her son was in high school. She would walk the two miles to school from her home on Lake Road, and her son would bring the car, which she would drive home.
For the last 20 or 30 years, she has set a goal of three miles a day. At 84, she begins to tire after two miles, so she walks two miles in the morning and the third in the afternoon. She can still manage a mile in about 18 minutes.
She discovered that she enjoys walking, even when it’s laps inside. After she settles into a pace, she can use the walking time for devotions or to plan meals.
In nice weather, she walks along Lake Road to the junction with U.S. 281, or goes north or south on Country Club Road.
During the winter, she walks in her basement — 100 laps is a mile.
“It’s almost like I have to do it,” she said. “If I forget, I’ve even gotten up out of bed to walk that third mile. It just has to be done.”
The walking pays off.
“I notice that I really don’t get tired,” she said. “I can do a day’s work without getting tired.”
