Walking Wednesday

This year for the American Heart Association’s National Walking Day I hosted a walk in my neighbor that I named “Walking Wednesday.” What was intended to be a one-time walk has now become a monthly tradition. I have proudly hosted this walk as Miss Teen Little Rock Intl, Miss Teen Arkansas Intl, and now as Miss Teen International. If you missed my video of our August walk check it out at the link below.

Here are ten tips that will make the start up of your walk easy and effective!

1. Design a flyer or compose an email to inform your neighbors of the upcoming walk. Make sure to include the location, starting time, and theme if you want one. 
2. Be mindful of after school activities, dinner, and bed times when choosing when to have your walk! My neighborhood group has walkers of all ages, so I keep this in mind when deciding when to meet.
3. Pass out flyers or send a message several weeks in advance. People are much less likely to be able to attend if you ask them to join at the last minute.
4. Send a quick reminder the day before the walk. People are busy so it a good idea to touch base before the event.
5. Show up to your meeting spot 5-10 minutes early. A good host/hostess never makes his or her guests wait.
6. Take advantage of this special time with your neighbors to have fun and catch up. Most people have such busy schedules that it is hard to find time to connect with those around them.
7. Don’t forget to explain why you are having the walk. This is a great opportunity for all of the walkers to share why they think being active is important.
8. Always end each walk with a challenge for the month. I like to suggest something simple such as adding an additional fruit into your diet daily or being active for an extra ten minutes each day. 
9. Try to tentatively plan a day for your next walk. It is much easier to discuss plans that day than trying to figure it out later!
10. Your walk doesn’t have to be on a Wednesday! It was the day that worked best for my neighborhood, and we thought “Walking Wednesday” was a catchy name! ☺

I hope this was enough information to help you kick start your walking club! Feel free to contact me if you have more questions, and don’t forget to tag me in your walking pictures as well as #WalkingWednesday when you share!

Miss Teen Little Rock International

Miss Teen Arkansas International 

Miss Teen International

If you believe in something, believe in it all the way!

Blair Wortsmith
Miss Teen International 2014