Ramsey County

Making $ense of Dollars and Cents

April 13, 2009

Walking = Health = Money Saved

          Quick, how much does a double cheeseburger, milkshake, and fries cost?  While you may only pay a few dollars each time you buy it, eating the same high-fat, high-calorie meal over and over can end up costing you a lot more than that..

          Although we don’t think about it on a daily basis, our diet can actually have a big impact on our finances. Health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, diabetes, and heart conditions are expensive to treat and the price keeps going up.

          The USDA released a report a few years ago that states that the medical costs that come as a result of obesity related problems are about $10,000 higher than they are for those with a healthy weight.  Would $10,000 in your pocket be an incentive to get and stay healthy?  It would for many people.  A great place to start a healthy lifestyle is with walking.

          Walking is a low-impact exercise that can ease you into a higher level of fitness and health. Walking is one of our body's most natural forms of exercise. It's safe, simple, doesn't require practice, and the health benefits are many. Walking can help you:

- Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)

- Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)

- Lower your blood pressure

- Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes

- Manage your weight

- Improve your mood

          If you are ready to put on your walking shoes, the next Walk North Dakota challenge starts April 12.and runs to June 6.

          Walk North Dakota is an NDSU Extension Service program that encourages people to work up to walking at least 10,000 steps a day. That’s the equivalent of five miles a day, five days a week, or 200 miles during the eight-week program. In comparison, people take an average of 2,000 to 4,000 steps a day.

          “Some participants are not able to walk that much each day, and that is just fine,” says Walk North Dakota coordinator Linda Hauge. “We encourage you to walk as many steps as you feel comfortable walking and keep trying to walk a little more each week.”

          You can sign up as an individual or part of a group. Anyone who wants to form a group should send an e-mail to info@walknd.com. You don’t need to live in North Dakota to participate.  The registration fee is $10 for adults and $5 for youth age 18 and younger. 4-H club members and leaders can participate free of charge.

          To register, go to the Walk North Dakota Web site at http://www.walknd.com or you can request a paper registration form by calling (701) 231-7964. You can pay online by credit or debit card or you can make a check payable to NDSU Extension Service and send it to WALK ND, NDSU Dept. 7280, Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050.

          Then put on a pedometer the first thing in the morning and record the number of steps you’ve taken by the end of each day. If you don’t own a pedometer, count one mile or 2,000 steps for every 20 minutes you walk. Report those steps by the designated dates every two weeks. You can report your steps at http://www.walknd.com or on a mail-in card.

          Since Walk North Dakota began in May 2004, more than 3,600 people have logged 1.36 billion steps, or about 678,000 miles.

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524 4th Ave NE #5, 2nd Floor Ramsey County Courthouse
Devils Lake  ND  58301
701-662-7027
email - NDSU.Ramsey.Extension@ndsu.edu