One way to fight back against M.S. is diet and gentle exercise. Being proactive is a postive experience versus waiting around to see what comes next with the disease.
The West Virginia University Health Sciences Campus Wellness Program is accepting participants for its 18th annual "Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days" campaign until Friday.
The campaign, which will begin at 9 a.m. Monday under the canopy at WVU Healthcare’s Ruby Memorial Hospital, asks participants to form a walking team, and each team member will walk 100 miles by June 26 – 100 days after the start date.
"The goals of the campaign are to establish a regular exercise program with the goal of sustaining it after the program concludes," said Dave Harshbarger, wellness manager and program director of the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for reversing heart disease.
Those involved with the "Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days" campaign hope to promote healthy lifestyles through daily exercise, Harshbarger said.
"Lack of exercise is a major risk factor for chronic diseases like heart disease and some cancers," he said. "Exercise also helps improve many of the psycho-social aspects of health like depression, stress and hostility."
This is of particular interest for West Virginia residents, he said, because the state has more heart disease per capita than any other state in the country.
Harshbarger said one of the ways to make sure the program is successful is the formation of walking teams, which act as a source of encouragement throughout the campaign.
The Wellness Program developed the campaign in 1995, and Harshbarger said it has proven successful and is the most popular program offered.
"Typically, near half of all 3,500 employees on the Health Sciences campus participate with another 2,000 in the community, making ‘Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days’ the most popular exercise program in the state," he said.
Harshbarger said the average walker in last year’s campaign walked 125 miles, with more than 97 percent of the more than 6,000 participants completing the 100 mile challenge.
"Participants can expect a fun event that can be done with friends, motivation, a sense of accomplishment and, of course, a very popular commemorative T-shirt," Harshbarger said.
The Wellness Program provides WVU HSC employees and their families with opportunities to maintain a healthy lifestyle through exercise classes and other informational events.
In addition to "Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days," The Wellness Program offers various assessments on lipid panels and weight loss, clinical programs on topics such as heart disease, numerous fitness programs, nutritional counseling and stress management events.
Those interested in the event can sign up individually or with a team at
www.hsc.wvu.edu/wellness.
Source:
http://www.thedaonline.com/100-miles-in-100-days-promotes-healthy-habits-1.2819334#.T2G3-3mAbSg
‘100 Miles in 100 Days’ promotes healthy habits
Published: Thursday, March 15, 2012
Updated: Thursday, March 15, 2012 00:03
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