Health District Celebrating Public Health Week, Start Walking Day

By John Voket

The local Health District wants to help Newtowners shake off winter’s grasp — with its low-impact nesting and tendencies toward inactivity — by springing into a regular habit of walking

And next week presents the perfect opportunity. According to Health District Director Donna Culbert, the week of April 5 is National Public Health week, and April 7 is National “Start! Walking Day.”

According to a release from the Health District, America may spend more on health care than any other country, but even the best efforts of its public health allies have failed to make America a healthier nation. In light of this, National Public Health Week 2010 raises awareness nationally and locally of public health’s critical role in restoring and ensuring a healthy America. 

“Building a healthy nation requires change in how we promote healthy habits in our community,” Ms Culbert told The Bee Wednesday.

The Newtown Health District wants to bring this national issue right into Newtown’s neighborhoods, and to the community’s robust network of public trails around town and especially at Fairfield Hills.

“Remember that the work of a public health agency somehow affects every member of the community in some aspect of their life, from the clean water that they drink to the functions of a septic system to the licensing and inspecting of food service and grocery stores to the tracking and investigation of infectious disease outbreaks, the investigation of lead poisoning children in our community, following-up on complaints, nuisances and hazards, health promotion and health education activities,” Ms Culbert said.

Among the many activities supported by or involving the Health District are: tick-borne disease prevention, heart health, radon, flu shot clinics, food safety at community events, emergency and disaster preparedness, and substance abuse prevention.

“It’s the collaborative relationships with our community partners that help our efforts work effectively,” Ms Culbert said.

She said it is no coincidence that “right smack dab in the middle of National Public Health Week is April 7, the American Heart Association’s National Start! Walking Day.”

Residents and those who come to work in Newtown are encouraged to wear sneakers to work and get in at least 30 minutes of walking that day.

“If you can’t get a full and uninterrupted 30 minutes, three 10-minute sessions of walking will do,” Ms Culbert said. “Walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity, and it’s the simplest positive change you can make to effectively improve your heart health.” 

She said Newtown is full of great places to walk.

“Our neighborhoods, sidewalks in parts of town, and many walking paths and trails are great places to get up and walking — and don’t forget the variable and extremely accessible trail system here at Fairfield Hills,” she said.

“You can park right at the Municipal Center and circle around the core campus or the entire property on very user-friendly, finished, and handicapped accessible trails,” Ms Culbert added. “Bring your dogs, on a leash of course, or your entire family. I see whole families walking around here all the time.”

Focusing in on another aspect of her public health responsibilities, the Health District director warned that if residents do choose to go walking, “Please protect yourself from tick bites and look for ticks on yourself, your family, and your pets when you are done.”

Visit www.nphw.org for more information on Public Health Week. Visit the American Heart Association’s web page specifically for the “Start! Walking Day” at www.startwalkingnow.org.