Lowe’s team tops annual Walk Across Texas

By MaryRuth Bishop, AgriLife Agent

Walk Across Texas teams in Donley County have completed their “travels” and are enjoying a healthier life. Walk Across Texas is a fun and flexible way to exercise. This year there were four teams who had gotten together with seven other people – friends, neighbors, coworkers, or family members – and started walking, or jogging, or even biking. They walked together and individually, outside on the college track and around town, however it fit into their schedule and lifestyle.

The exciting part is teams kept records of their walking, and all teams walked the 830 miles “across Texas” in eight weeks.

This year Texas AgriLife Extension Service volunteer Francis Smith helped get donations for a Traveling Trophy which will go from team to team each year. The trophy is sponsored by Outpost Pharmacy, and this year it will go to the Lowe’s Mileage Makers team. The team will have the privilege of displaying the trophy all year long. Other teams in this year’s walk were Country Chicks, Sixty Plus, First Steppers, and Happy Gardeners. All teams walked the 830 miles within the eight-week time period. Top walkers were Jim Sullivan, a member of the Lowe’s Mileage Maker team, and Andy Callis from the First Steppers team. We also would like to recognize our oldest walker, Ruby Jewel Hardin.

We are very excited that Paul Bivens of Outpost Pharmacy was willing to support the traveling trophy and the Walk Across Texas program in Donley County. By helping the citizens of Donley County have a healthier life, Outpost Pharmacy is also supporting the health and well-being of our communities and future.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 29 percent of American adults are not physically active at all, and 50 percent are not active enough to achieve health benefits.

Here’s what it costs: Direct and indirect costs of sedentary living are $150 billion. Estimated direct costs of obesity and inactivity together account for approximately 15 percent of U.S. health care expenditures. The medical care costs for people with chronic diseases account for more than 70 percent of the nation’s total medical care costs.

Now, think about this…“If 10 percent of adults began a regular walking program, $5.6 billion in heart disease costs [alone] could be saved.”

So, we know that public health recommendations suggest that everyone should have 30–60 minutes or more of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, on a daily basis. Many businesses have come to learn that regular fitness walking requires only a modest investment, yet it can lead to considerable bottom-line savings from reduced health insurance costs and increased productivity. A sustained reduction of just 10 percent in body weight can lead to substantial health and economic benefits. Conversely, these are some of the specific costs associated with remaining inactive and obese:

Obesity costs employers more than $12 billion each year in higher healthcare utilization/benefit claims, lower productivity, and increased absenteeism

About 9.1 percent of the nation’s total annual medical expenditures are attributable to obesity

Walking helps our community become stronger and healthier, which also supports our businesses as employees have less stress, more stamina, and an overall positive attitude.

For more information about Walk Across Texas, call 874-2141.