Start! walking for your health

COLUMBUS -- The statistics are alarming. Major cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, continue to be the leading cause of death in Platte County, causing 35.4 percent of the area’s total deaths according to the most recent available statistics.

From 2002 to 2006 the East Central District Health Department reports the rate of deaths due to coronary heart disease was 80 in 100,000 throughout the health district’s four county coverage area. The district serves residents in Boone, Colfax, Nance and Platte counties.

Exercise is one of the best preventive majors to fight cardiovascular disease.

In an effort to get area residents up and moving, the American Heart Association has teamed with Columbus Community Hospital on Start!, a movement launched in 2007 to help Americans improve their health by walking.

Information on the Centers for Disease Control Web site says that few lifestyle choices have as large a positive impact on health as physical activity.

According to the Web site, “studies show that regular physical activity can cut the risk for developing depression, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pres-

sure, obesity, stroke and certain kinds of cancer.”

Recent studies show less than half of U.S. adults get the amount of physical activity recommended by the agency.

Research from the American Heart Association shows Americans are gaining weight and work 164 hours more per year than 20 years ago in sedentary occupations, which leads to a greater risk for heart disease and stroke.

Start! focuses on walking as an activity because, according to the American Heart Association, it’s accessible, free and has the lowest dropout rate of any type of exercise.

“We are very excited to be part of a new movement that aims to improve the overall health and wellness of Platte County,” said Bill Luke, interim president/CEO of Columbus Community Hospital. “Regular walking has many proven benefits for a person’s health, and we look forward to helping our own employees and the rest of the community live longer, stronger lives.”

Tracy Kuester, an American Heart Association spokeswoman, said that Start! is referred to as a movement because its purpose goes beyond the annual heart walk fundraising event.

“The Start! movement is much more than just the annual walk,” she said. “The American Heart Association encourages people to get up and walk even if it’s not connected to the heart walk.”

Start! is centered around four key elements:

n The Start! Heart Walk is the American Heart Association’s premier fundraiser. The fundraiser gives people an opportunity to improve their health through walking while helping fund the fight against heart disease and stroke.

n MyStart! Online is a Web-based fitness and nutrition tracker. MyStart! Online is the hub for a walking program that offering constant, measurable, personal improvement.

n The Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Recognition Program officially recognizes employers that champion the health of their employees and work to create a culture of physical activity in the workplace.

n The Start! Walking Program. Business owners are urged to encourage walking at work and recognize and reward employees who move from a sedentary to a more active lifestyle.

Individuals wishing to participate in the annual heart walk can do so by registering at www.plattevalleyheartwalk.com.

Once registered participants can create their own Web page and e-mail friends family and co-workers to raise funds for the heart walk.

Individuals can also obtain the traditional fundraising forms and envelopes to raise donations prior to the April 8 Heart Walk. Forms and envelopes can be obtained from the cardiac rehab office at the Columbus Community Hospital or at Creighton Cardiac Center at Columbus located at 4508 38th Street Suite 157.

Kuester said a number of local businesses have formed teams for the Start! Heart Walk including: Columbus Community Hospital, Creighton Cardiac Center at Columbus and First Nebraska Bank. She said the association is in the process of contacting other local businesses as well.

Business owners and company representatives interested in getting their companies involved can call Kuester for more information at (402) 439-2860.

Start! Platte Valley is sponsored by Columbus Community Hospital, Faith Regional Cardiovascular Institute, BryanLGH Heart Institute, Pinnacle Bank, and Tooley Drug and Home Care.

The Platte Valley Start! Heart Walk is April 8. For more information about the Heart Walk contact Korie Whitmore at (402) 562-8445 or Penny Barels at (402) 562-3344 or visit the Start! Platte Valley Web site at www.

plattevalleyheartwalk.com.

For more information about Start! visit the American Heart Association’s Web site at www.americanheart.org/start.