WVU Medicine, local agencies host Ranson walks
RANSON, W.Va. – WVU Medicine, Ranson Parks and Recreation, and the Jefferson County Committee on Aging (JCCOA) are teaming up to sponsor a new walking program in Ranson.
Ranson Walks is a collaborative program that includes indoor walking at the Ranson Civic Center, walking programs offered by JCCOA, and a mile marker program to track miles walked.
A kick-off event to highlight the indoor walking programs will be held from 5-6 p.m. on Nov. 14 at the Ranson Civic Center. Mark Cucuzzella, M.D., a Jefferson Medical Center physician and nationally recognized speaker on health and physical activity, will do a presentation on the health benefits of walking.
Two Rivers Treads, JCCOA, Jefferson Activities Group, and WVU Medicine will have information available at the event. There will be giveaways, free blood pressure checks, and much more.
The Ranson Civic Center will be open for walkers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. All walkers must fill out a registration and consent form. If you would like to track your miles, you can join the mile marker program and earn rewards for miles walked. Notebooks will be available at the front desk. Approximately 19 laps around the interior is equal to a mile.
Walking programs offered by JCCOA include Walk with Ease and Healthy Steps. Walk with Ease is held from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and is tailored for those with arthritis to safely make physical activity part everyday life. Healthy Steps is offered at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and helps participants move to better health with the Lebed Method, a therapy, exercise, and movement program. The Lebed Method had been proven to enhance the well-being of those with cancer and other chronic illnesses. Both programs are free to anyone over 50; there is a $2 fee for all others.
For more information, contact Dana DeJarnett, WVU Medicine health promotion coordinator, at 304-264-1287, ext. 31814, or ddejarnett@wvumedicine.org or Terri Burhans, director of Ranson Parks and Recreation, at 304-725-2437 or tburhans@ransonwv.us.