By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
LITTLE ROCK — As families resume their busy back to school schedules, it’s important to take time to exercise. Walk Across Arkansas, an eight-week, group-based exercise program from the Cooperative Extension Service, is designed to help Arkansans get moving and collaborate with peers.
GET MOVING, ARKANSAS — To help Arkansans get active, the Cooperative Extension Service's Walk Across Arkansas program asks participants to log their number of minutes spent being physically active each day. The free program is offered each spring and fall, and past participants list numerous benefits, including better sleep, lower stress levels and strengthened relationships with teammates. (Division of Agriculture graphic.)
The free program is offered each spring and fall by the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Participants record the total number of minutes spent being physically active each day — and any moderate to vigorous physical activity that boosts the heart rate counts — not just walking.
Teams can consist of one person to as many as 30 people. Participants can register and log exercise minutes at walk.uada.edu/walk/. Registration for the fall 2023 session opens Aug. 28, and the competition starts Sept. 11 and ends on Nov. 5.
Heather Wingo, extension health program associate for the Division of Agriculture, said the Walk Across Arkansas program is a great resource for Arkansans looking to improve their health.
“Walk Across Arkansas provides an endless list of benefits, such as improving physical activity goals, encouraging teamwork, improved strength and stamina, and lower stress levels,” Wingo said. “And it’s completely free, making it very accessible for all participants.”
Positive results
During the spring 2023 Walk Across Arkansas session, 409 participants on 82 teams from 43 counties logged 1,036,886 minutes. Wingo said many participants reported they had more energy, slept better, controlled stress, strengthened relationships, lost weight or inches, and improved their blood panels and blood pressure.
“Participants can start slow and gradually build up their exercise time over the course of eight weeks as they get stronger,” Wingo said. “If you need a little motivation to get going, having friends with similar goals can help you stay on track.”
Anyone can participate in Walk Across Arkansas. Division of Agriculture employees must use a personal email address, not their work email address, to register. Visit walk.uada.edu/walk/ to learn more and register or contact your local county extension agent.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
