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Virginians Walk the Length of the Commonwealth

   

Most Virginians want to stay physically active but have difficulty finding the time, energy, and motivation to get moving. This spring, Virginia Cooperative Extension debuted FIT Extension, an eight-week fitness and nutrition program to help Virginians improve their exercise habits, diets, and overall quality of life in a fun and challenging way.

“Virginia Cooperative Extension has always been about helping Virginians improve their quality of life,” says Karen Gehrt, Extension’s associate director of family and consumer sciences.

Paul Estabrooks, associate professor of human nutrition, foods and exercise, explains that FIT Extension promotes positive behaviors and attitudes related to diet and exercise in a team-based setting.

“Our hope is that team members will motivate each other to make healthy decisions,” Estabrooks says.

Estabrooks adapted a team-based fitness and nutrition program from Kansas for Virginia with the help of Joan Wages, associate Extension specialist for health and nutrition. “FIT Extension participants aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, the amount of aerobic physical activity recommended for adults by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,” Wages says.

The program also promotes increased fruit and vegetable consumption. According to the USDA Agricultural Research Service, most adults think they eat enough fruits and vegetables but come up short when they begin to observe their diets. FIT Extension team members log the servings of fruits and vegetables they eat. Adult team members strive to consume two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables each day; the amounts vary for children.

FIT Extension encourages participants to engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate
physical activity such as brisk walking, jogging, yoga, or biking on five or more days each week. Although FIT Extension is not a competition, co-workers, friends, and family members join together in teams of six. Each team has a captain who helps the group set goals for its personal achievement.

“If each member of a six-person team does the recommended amount of physical activity, the team would walk the equivalent of 480 miles – the length of Virginia,” Wages adds.