King County Walks Week
April 4 - 8, 2011

Over 1,000 employees around the county participated in King County Walks Week, representing every department and separately elected office.  More than 250 employees teamed up with co-workers to join hosted walks leaving the Chinook and King Street Center buildings.  Thank you to all our team leaders, walk hosts and walkers for your participation.

Why Walk?

• Walking has great health benefits.
• If you register, you'll get the flashlight and whistle goodies, and be entered in a drawing for free sport shoes.
• Walking with co-workers is a great way to increase your energy and solve workplace problems.
• King County supports you in making healthy choices.  Walking is good for you and good for the county.

Walking is easy!  Just choose one day during King County Walks Week to walk with your co-workers.  You choose the route and length of your walk, but we ask you to aim for 1 mile or 15 minutes.  Register your team to earn a fun prize - a safety flashlight and whistle from the 3 Days, 3 Ways program!

Extra credit - we love your stories.  So email us your team story and a photo and we'll post it online in the Around the County section of the website.

National Start! Walking Day  is April 6th.  This annual event is the American Heart Association's reminder to adults to include physical activity in every day.  When you register to participate in King County Walks Week, you'll also be entered in the American Heart Association's drawing for a new pair of Brooks sport shoes.

Need some inspiration for a route?  Check out these walking maps and resources.  Hosted walks will be leaving daily from the Chinook building.  Check out the schedule.

The Centers for Disease Control recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity plus strength training exercises each week. Activity can be broken down into 10 minute segments – even 10 minutes of activity is proven to have health benefits. Just some of the benefits of walking are:

• Manage weight and lower blood pressure
• More energy, better balance and stronger bones
• Better sleep and mood
• Fewer aches and pains
• Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
• Healthier heart and lungs
• Reduce the risk for diabetes and some types of cancer
• Reduce greenhouse gases when you replace a drive with a walk
• Reduce stress levels

King County Walks Week is brought to you by the Health Matters program. Health Matters provides tools and resources to help employees Eat Smart, Move More, Stress Less, Quit Tobacco and Choose Well. For more information, visit our website.  We appreciate your feedback - e-mail us, or call us at 206-205-5017.