As 2021 comes to an end, we want to ramp up your motivation for physical activity by challenging you to commit to walking daily and even trying new paths to get your steps in.
Establishing and adhering to a daily walking routine has many benefits. Walking builds, tones, and shapes muscles. Stretching out your stride, keeping your posture erect (shoulders back and down), and your upper body in motion loosens up stiff joints, muscles, and tendons. Walking is a longer-duration, lower-intensity exercise that can burn more fat than a short, intense workout. You will reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure by being consistent. Walking can also stabilize blood sugar levels and make you less insulin resistant without risking a blood sugar plunge that can accompany intense exercise.
While you are planning your daily walking routine, we want to encourage you to embark on “new paths” throughout our community. Having a change in scenery often will make you want to see more and, in return, will make you walk more.
To get you started, here are a few “new paths”:
• Bays Mountain: This park features 39 miles of beautiful hiking trails that cover most of the park’s 3,500 acres, with over 32 miles of trails approved for mountain biking.
• Warriors Path: This park offers 12 miles of hiking trails that take you through fields and forest, over high bluffs, and along peaceful streams. Have an adventure on the internationally renowned mountain bike trail system or take a peaceful stroll around Duck Island.
• Historic Downtown Kingsport Heritage Trail: The trail, a 1.8-mile walking and fitness path, will tie into the Greenbelt, enticing walkers, runners, and bikers to visit our beautiful historic downtown. Visit Your Kingsport Chamber for a trail map brochure.
• The Greenbelt is an 8-mile-long linear park that connects residential neighborhoods, traditional parks, downtown, commercial districts, schools, and activity centers.
• Kingsport Selfie Trail: Capture the amazing sights around the city on the Kingsport Selfie Trail. Find a selfie location marker, take a selfie, and share it using the hashtag #CaptureKingsport.
• Lynn View community track: This newly resurfaced track will help you accomplish your steps goal.
• Borden Park: This is a 17-acre neighborhood park with a walkable 18-hole disc golf course.
• Centennial Park: A green space encircled by a walkway that provides a unique destination and link to downtown Kingsport that commemorates the community’s past, present, and future.
Walking challenges help you achieve goals and build healthy habits. Coming up with unique ways to get those steps in can be rewarding. Healthy Kingsport is creating a steps and activities challenge on our Walker Tracker app. “Walking into the Winter Wonderland” is a goal-oriented challenge of 10,000 steps per day that encourages you to try “new paths” throughout our city. The duration of this community challenge is Dec. 25 through March 31.
Walker Tracker App
Healthy Kingsport utilizes the Walker Tracker app to promote our physical activities initiative. Healthy Kingsport has created a challenge that anyone in the community can be a part of. All you have to do is visit the website, click on the 4-million-mile city challenge to sign up, or download Walker Tracker on your smart device. You can link your tracking devices to the app, or you can input your steps manually. Visit our Facebook page for a how-to video.
1. Download our app: WALKER TRACKER https://healthykingsport.walkertracker.com/
2. Select create new account
3. Type “Healthy Kingsport.”
4. Create a user account
5. Select register
6. Enable notifications
Everyone has to start somewhere, and the Healthy Kingsport staff is here to help along the way. Visit our Facebook page and like us on Instagram for educational videos and posts on living a healthier lifestyle.
Walk for Wellness at the Lynn View Community Center
Join us at the fifth annual Walk for Wellness Expo on April 23, 2022, to learn more about the community’s health and wellness. The Walk for Wellness expo is a free event! Want a free T-shirt? Register today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2021-walk-for-wellness-expo-tickets-158619417949.
Healthy Kingsport is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a community that actively embraces healthy living by promoting wellness, enhancing infrastructure, and influencing policy. Aiesha Edwards is the executive director of Healthy Kingsport. She can be reached at abanks@healthykingsport.org. Desteny Clemons is the program coordinator and can be reached at dferguson@healthykingsport.org.