Go take a walk in the park |
Daniel Gonzales |
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Exercise America takes students coast to coast
More than 130 SIUE students, faculty members and staffers are trekking through America's national parks. The Wellness Center is sponsoring Exercise America - National Parks, a fitness program to help people get fit and have fun as they "travel" through eight of America's national parks, Fitness Coordinator Aimee Knitter said. The program kicked off Monday with 17 of the 134 registered participants making an initial walk, Knitter said. The program runs through Oct. 31. During this time all students, faculty and staff who signed up are encouraged to log their exercise as miles. Although participants won't actually be hiking 6,000 miles through national forests, the theme of the program takes them on a checklist tour of eight national parks: Acadia, the Great Smokey Mountains, Voyageurs, Rocky Mountain, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Redwood and Yellowstone. The program is designed for participants to be challenged but not overworked, Knitter said. Participants can choose from 57 activities to complete their journey. Activities include swimming, tennis, rock climbing, fencing, water skiing and Ultimate Frisbee. Novice participants are credited for walking 12 miles per minute of exercise, and advanced participants are given eight miles for every minute of exercise. A novice who enjoys water skiing can earn 360 miles for a half hour of working out at any of the listed exercises. All participants who complete the 6,000-mile route will receive a T-shirt and a Picture of Health Certificate...... | |