Members of the Lighten Up Lancaster County Coalition are making strides to make the community healthier.
Walk in the footsteps of your forefathers.
Hike the Oregon Trail, without ever leaving Lancaster County.
The Lighten Up Lancaster County Coalition is piggybacking on America on the Move (AOM), a national, Web-based nonprofit organization promoting healthy lifestyles, to launch a free six-week exercise challenge covering the steps of the historic West Coast trail.
Lancaster's America on the Move program will be the first in a series of coalition-driven events encouraging healthy living. Registration is encouraged before Oct. 4, the official start date.
You can track your progress virtually on an online map and win a number of prizes upon completion of the trail.
"We want to get people moving in a fun way," says Rosemary Search, Lancaster General manager of community health and wellness. "Getting healthier can be just one step at a time."
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Statistics for people who are obese in Lancaster County are ballooning.
According to coalition member David Lloyd, executive director of recreation and parks at the Ephrata Recreation Center, 64 percent of local adults are overweight.
"That's a startling thing to look at," Lloyd says.
What's also startling, Search says, is that the younger generation of today may not live as long as their parents, because of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles.
A time-starved society obsessed with convenience fosters poorer eating habits and inactivity, coalition members say.
"It truly boils down to overcommitment," coalition member and personal trainer Lynne Zanowski says. "It just compounds and compounds."
The 250-member volunteer coalition, which incorporates people from many walks of community life, formed in November to help combat obesity and encourage healthy lifestyle changes.
The idea is not to preach but to motivate.
"This is a whole community initiative, a whole cross section of participants," Search says. "We want to get nutrition across, we want to get activity across, but we also want to make it fun and appealing to all ages.
"We want it to be positive."
The six-week challenge is being promoted through a variety of venues, including the Lancaster YMCA, the Ephrata Rec Center, the Hands-on House and area hospitals, with an assortment of healthy lifestyle activities.
Businesses can also jump on board.
"Employers are always looking for ways to increase wellness and motivate their employees," says coalition member Julie McNelly, president of JAG Lifestyle Coaches. "This being a free way of doing this, it's an awesome opportunity for businesses to incorporate this and be part of a community-wide event."
Coalition members hope that as people sign up, they will generate enthusiasm among family members and co-workers.
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In its earliest days, the Oregon Trail was a 2,000-mile-long string of rivers and natural landmarks that could be followed from Missouri to Oregon.
It could take pioneers months, even years, to navigate the trail.
Now you can do a portion of it in six weeks, without any wrong turns.
The goal is to walk about 6,000 steps a day, or up to five miles.
Coalition members plan to keep track of participation and miles walked, and also provide various incentives to complete the trail, which is visible at www.LancasterGeneral.org/LightenUp.
For coalition members, it's not just about talking the talk.
They also plan to walk the walk — literally.
"Even one small step," Search says, "can lead to larger rewards that can last a lifetime."
GET MOVING
WHAT:
Lighten Up Lancaster County Coalition America on the Move 2008, a free six-week physical-activity program
TO REGISTER: Go to
www.LancasterGeneral.org/LightenUp and select "The Oregon Trail." Use registration code RLI119098.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Oct. 4
TO LEARN MORE: Call 544-3878, or e-mail
lightenup@lancastergeneral.org.
CONTACT THE NEW ERA: sjurgelski@LNPnews.com or 291-8756
