“Tell me if this is too heavy,” East Lansing resident Marybeth Braddick said as her husband Colin Kerbawy handed her a melon to put in the backpack of their son Kierin Kerbawy, 17. The family made a stop at the East Lansing Farmer’s Market during their walk with the Walking in Our Community series.
With blue skies overhead, the city of East Lansing kicked off its Walking in Our Community series Sunday to promote community health.
The walk was one in a series of walks put on by Community Partners in Health, a Mid-Michigan coalition working toward healthy living.
“It’s so important that people practice healthy lifestyles,” co-coordiantor of Community Partners in Health Alicia Armstrong said. “It’s just a good way to get to know your community, especially when you can see where to get healthy, local produce or explore the parks.”
The partners, which include 19 participants ranging from medical centers to municipalities, rotate where they host their community walks. The East Lansing Department of Parks, Recreation and Arts teamed up with the partners to include the city’s Farmer’s Market in Valley Court Park and the surrounding areas in the one-mile walking loop.
“We really wanted to put food and fitness together,” recreation coordinator Kathleen Miller said. “It’s all good and fresh produce. We’re combining the good food with going for a walk.”
With about 30 people at the initial sign in, the walk started at the Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, and headed to the Farmer’s Market. From the market, the loop trailed into the surrounding Glencairn neighborhood and back to the community center. Participants could take the loop as many times as they wanted and could stop off at any time.
East Lansing resident Marybeth Braddick explored the Farmer’s Market after taking a break from the walk. Braddick said the market was a huge appeal to participating in the walk, as well as going out and exploring East Lansing.
“I think the exercise is really important and the fresh air,” Braddick said. “It’s good to meet people in the community just be apart of the physical environment.”
The partners plan events year-round, including the Winter Warm-up program at the Lansing Mall, 5330 W. Saginaw Highway, in Lansing. Members of the partners hope by engaging people in groups they will be more apt to exercise and start a healthy lifestyle.
And sometimes a boost from neighbors is all someone needs to start exercising, Braddick said.
“I think when you put out an invitation like this, sometimes people are isolated and they want to be physically active, but they don’t want to do it themselves,” she said. “So when you have someone else to do it with you’re much more motivated and it can be much more fun if you do it with someone.”
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