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Ford County

Walk Kansas

Welcome to Walk Kansas, a health initiative presented by K-State Research and Extension. Walk Kansas is a team-based program that will inspire you to lead a healthier life by being more active, making better nutrition choices and learning positive ways to deal with stress.

 

How Walk Kansas Works

Walk Kansas is a team-based program, meaning that you are part of a 6-member team and together you will select a goal (challenge) to work toward during the 8 weeks. Here are the options for your team:

Challenges:

Challenge 1:  Discover the 8 Wonders of Kansas! This journey requires each person to get 2½ hours of moderate activity per week.

Challenge 2:Go Cross County from Troy, Kansas in northeast Kansas to Elkhart, Kansas in the southwest, which requires 4 hours of activity per person/week.

Challenge 3:Little Balkans to Nicodemus - a trail that takes you through southeast Kansas and then up to Nicodemus with interesting stops along the way. This requires 6 hours of activity per person/week.

Each person logs minutes of moderate/vigorous activity and these are converted to Walk Kansas miles (15 minutes = 1 mile) on the website. for a complete description of activities that count for Walk Kansas and how to report minutes, check the Activity Guide.

Program participants will receive weekly newsletters and motivational messages that focus on healthful lifestyle habits. As each team moves across or around the state, participants will learn about points of interest in Kansas by viewing progress of your team on the Walk Kansas online map.

 

What Activities Count Toward Walk Kansas Minutes?

Not everyone can walk a mile in the same amount of time, but their body is getting the same benefit as long as they are working at moderate or vigorous for their physical level. So every 15 minutes of activity then translates to 1 mile.

You can report all activity you do at a moderate and vigorous level, as long as the activity is performed for at least 10 consecutive minutes. You can also include minutes you spend doing strengthening exercises. That's how we figure the distance across or around the state a team member walks.

Register

Through the Walk Kansas website you can now log directly onto the website, register, order shirts, chat with your team, learn about local events and more, through a new interactive system. Team Captains register first and then team members will receive an email inviting them to complete their online registration. If you don't already have a team, don't worry. You can still register online as an individual and the Extension Office will assist in finding a team for you.  To register for Walk Kansas visit www.walkkansas.org and follow registration directions.

If you prefer register similar to the way it was done in the past, we still have paper registration and logs available at the Extension Office. Team Captains or Individuals may still pick up packets at the Extension Office. Registration is due back to the Extension Office, with payment for program fees and optional t-shirt, by March 25.

Activity Trackers

If you wear an activity tracker (wrist tracker or pedometer) you can start counting steps after you reach 6,000 steps in a day. Report 15 minutes of activity for every 2,000 steps you take above 6,000.

 

Healthy Eating Makes a Difference

Healthy eating, including beverage choices, plays a key role in helping you achieve and maintain good health and in reducing the risk of chronic disease throughout your life. As a Walk Kansas participant, you will be asked to report the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat each week. Healthy eating guidelines, tips and recipes will be available through the weekly newsletter and on the Walk Kansas website. Information provided is from the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American institute for Cancer Research (AICR).