A kickoff event for the Brazos Valley Walk Across Texas! program will start at 10 a.m. Feb. 8 at the Post Oak Mall, 1500 Harvey Road in College Station.
Health and wellness experts in AgriLife Extension offices in counties throughout Texas coordinate with local leaders, business owners, civic organizations, health agencies and others to determine the best time to kick off their area Walk Across Texas! programs.
The event will be held in the hallway entrance next to JC Penney. It will include an overview of the Walk Across Texas! program and a ‘First Mile’ walk.
T-shirts will be available for purchase, and there will be multiple drawings for door prizes.
“The Walk Across Texas! program of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is a fun, free and flexible way to get active,” said Flora Williams, AgriLife Extension family and community health agent, Brazos County. “You participate as a team of up to eight friends, family and colleagues against other teams in a league or community wide.”
For an eight-week period from Feb. 8 through April 3, teams will track and log the mileage needed to virtually walk across the state of Texas — a distance of 832 miles. Participants will engage in this friendly competition as a way to become more physically active.
Williams said the kickoff will also include a team captain’s meeting to help register and set up accounts and teams for the program. For those who cannot attend the kickoff event, teams are encouraged to register by Feb. 14 to be eligible for county awards.
“Walking, running, biking, aerobics, gardening or just about any other physical activity counts toward the team’s goal,” Williams said. “The program is really just about becoming more active. We hope by the end, participants will have started to develop a healthy habit of engaging in regular physical activity and will continue to stay physically active afterward.”
Health and wellness experts in AgriLife Extension offices in counties throughout Texas coordinate with local leaders, business owners, civic organizations, health agencies and others to determine the best time to kick off their area Walk Across Texas! programs.
Last year the Walk Across Texas! program for the Brazos Valley, which had participants from Brazos and surrounding counties, engaged more than 2,400 adults, representing about 20% of the total statewide adult program participation.
A recent study on the Walk Across Texas! program shows it not only attracts participants from all physical activity levels, it also helps less-active participants become more physically active and remain active over the eight-week period.
“The program gives participants the freedom to be active at their own pace, without setting unrealistic expectations,” said Michael Lopez, AgriLife Extension program specialist and co-author of the study. “Our results confirm that if you want to increase your physical activity in a supportive environment, Walk Across Texas! is a wonderful option.”
Program winners will be announced on April 15 on the Brazos Valley This Morning Show on KBTX-TV.
“A lot of community organizations and volunteers supported us in putting together this program,” Williams said. “These include CHI St. Joseph Health, the Brazos County Health District, the city of Bryan and TruFit, as well as our own Texas A&M University System community and AgriLife Extension’s Master Wellness Volunteer program volunteers. We appreciate all their support and hard work.”
For more information, contact the AgriLife Extension office in Brazos County at 979-823-0129 or visit the website.
-30-
