Do you feel stressed? Has your fitness routine lagged due to COVID-19 or for other reasons? You might need a new challenge to get back on track. Walk Across NWA can help you! 

It's not too late. Register for the Fall 2021 Program and gain access to Health and Wellness resources from the U of A Division of Agriculture and make a difference in the environment. Participation is free. Registration is open now and the program lasts through Nov. 7. 

Online registration is available at walk.uada.edu.  More details are located on the following sites: uaex.uada.edu/nwa-wellness along with on the Facebook Page @NWALivingWell and our NWA Living Well Facebook Group to receive additional support with stress management, nutrition tips, healthy recipes and more.

Earlier this year, 890 Arkansans statewide participated in the Spring 2021 Walk Across Arkansas, logging 1,469,867 minutes, with 217 teams from counties walking across the state. Many of those participants reported they had more energy, slept better, controlled stress, strengthened relationships, lost weight or inches and improved their blood panels and blood pressure.

Physical activity can lower the risk of early death, coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and some cancers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exercise also helps with weight loss and can improve mood and energy level and help us stress less.

National physical activity guidelines recommend that adults achieve at least 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity and two strength training sessions per week, and youth need at least 60 minutes of exercise daily.

To participate, find a few friends, classmates, family members or co-workers to form a team and register online. If you do not know others who are interested, make up a team name and be a team of one. Joining a team provides support to help you reach your goals, but team members do not have to be physically active together. Then, through Nov. 7, just record the number of minutes you spend walking, jogging, gardening or getting any other form of exercise. You can do any type of physical activity to increase your heart rate or break a sweat.

Minutes can be logged online daily or entered weekly, or you can contact your local County Extension Agents for paper forms. Team captains can log in minutes for team members. Even if you do not have an email address, this program is still for you. 

For more information about Walk Across NWA, contact the Washington County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent Anna Goff by email at agoff@uada.edu, or you can call or text 479-841-1212 or office 479-444-1755. In Benton County, contact Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Trudy McManus at tmcmanus@uada.edu or 479-271-1060.

Have some fun this fall with friends and family — physically distancing of course — and make a difference as you get healthy with Walk Across NWA.

Special thanks to Jamie Baum at the U of A Center for Human Nutrition for support in promotion of this program.

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The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.