Walkin' at the Parks !

Spotted some frequent flyers at West City Park the last few weeks and they are wanting some more walking partners! Come on come all. The weather has been great and it is a good time to get ready for summer.

Here are some reasons you should get out and get walking!

After reading these grab a family member, friend, family pet, neighbor and meet out at West City Park on Mondays at 5:30pm at the White Gazebo and on Tuesdays at Pevely park #1, and join us! See you There.

The following are some quick facts about walking:

On average, every minute of walking can extend your life by 1.5 to 2 minutes. That's about a 2 for 1 trade-off!
*Walking an extra 20 minutes each day will burn off 7 pounds of body fat per year.
*To burn off 1 plain M&M candy, you need to walk the full length of a football field. Think about that next time you dip your *hand into a candy bowl at someone's office!
*Longer, moderately-paced daily walks (40 minutes at 60% to 65% maximum heart rate) are best for losing weight.
*Shorter, faster walks (20-25 minutes at 75% to 85% maximum heart rate) are best for conditioning your heart and lungs.

Walking provides the following benefits:

*Improves efficiency of your heart and lungs
*Burns body fat
*Raises your metabolism so you are burning calories faster, even while you rest
*Helps control your appetite
*Increases your energy
*Helps relieve stress
*Slows aging
*Reduces levels of cholesterol in your blood
*Lowers high blood pressure
*Helps control and prevent diabetes
*Reduces risk of some forms of cancer including colorectal, prostrate, and breast
*Aids rehabilitation from heart attack and stroke
*Promotes intestinal regularity
*Helps promote restful sleep
*Strengthens muscles of your legs, hips, and torso
*Strengthens your bones and reduces bone density loss in older women
*Reduces stiffness in your joints due to inactivity or arthritis
*Relieves most cases of chronic backache
*Improves flexibility
*Improves posture
*Promotes healthier skin due to increased circulation
*Improves mental alertness and memory
*Spurs intellectual creativity and problem solving
*Elevates mood
*Helps prevent and/or reduce depression
*Improves your self-esteem
*Increases sexual vigor
*Helps control addictions to nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and other drugs


© Nicole Niemiec. Healthy Insights

Healthy March Madness!

During the month of March, many of us enjoy getting wrapped up in March Madness; we check stats, compare brackets and, of course, get together to watch the games! March is also National Nutrition Month, so these gatherings are a great time to try some healthy snacks! Check out the CDC's website for information on the fruit of the month (exoctic winter fruit) and the vegetable of the month (leeks and green onions) and for some healthy recipe ideas: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/index.html
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/recipes.html

Why not get ready for the big games with some playing of your own? Basketball is a great way to get some exercise. Get the whole family involved with a game of "around the world" or "knockout!" Springtime brings lots of opportunities to play outside, so enjoy the weather and have fun!