CORNING – It reduces risk of heart attack and stroke. It boosts mood, helps to lose weight and prevent dementia. And it’s free.
It’s walking – do it with a dog, in a trek around the neighborhood or as another way to get to the grocery store after ditching the car.
CHI Health wants to make it easy and fun for you to reach your walking goals. So CHI invites everyone to join them in their “Sidewalk Marathon.” Metro hospitals have done it for a few years and Mercy Corning is joining in.
No one has to run a marathon – 26.2 miles – walk it in 30 days. That’s about one extra mile a day. Sidewalk Marathon comes with a step-by-step program to follow with exercise plans, healthy recipes and advice from expert health coaches. And it’s free.
Join the Sidewalk Marathon kickoff on Sunday, March 24, inside the CHI Health Wellness Center in Corning. It’s a fun-filled afternoon with a wide range of activities:
• Physical therapist with stretching and balance demonstrations
• Yoga and HITT sample classes
• Free blood pressure checks
• Walking the first mile with CHI Health
• Healthy food sample
• All kinds of wellness tips and handouts
• Be part of the Sidewalk Marathon March 24 and have one month free access to the Wellness Center.
Here’s what you need to know:
Sidewalk Marathon will be from 1 to 4 p.m. March 24 at CHI Health Center, 401 Sixth St., in Corning with the purpose to start a walking program for better health. Participants can register at www.chihealth.com/SidewalkMarathon or stop by at the Wellness Center.
Some reasons to lace up the sneakers:
• Walking 20 extra minutes a day can burn seven pounds of body fat a year
• You’ll have more energy. Walking boosts circulation and increases oxygen to feel more alert and energized
• It can reduce stress, cholesterol and blood pressure while it fights dementia, arthritis, depression and diabetes.
• Smile more. Studies show that even a 5 to 10-minute walk can make a difference. The brain releases dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine to feel good
CHI Health is a regional health network with a unified mission – nurturing the healing ministry of the church while creating healthier communities. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, the combined organization consists of 14 hospitals, two stand-alone behavioral health facilities, more than 150 employed physician practice locations and more than 12,000 employees in Nebraska and southwestern Iowa.
In fiscal 2018, CHI Health invested more than $179.3 million back into their communities. The majority of those dollars went to caring for the poor and underserved.
CHI Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. It was created in February 2019 through the alignment of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. CommonSpirit Health is committed to creating healthier communities, delivering exceptional patient care and ensuring every person has access to quality health care. With its national office in Chicago, Illinois, and a team of approximately 150,000 employees and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, CommonSpirit Health operates 142 hospitals and more than 700 care sites across 21 states. In FY 2018, Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health had combined revenues of $29.2 billion and provided $4.2 billion in charity care, community benefit and unreimbursed government programs.