Get Outside and Walk

Although walkathons are held year-round (mall-walking makes that possible in wintertime), their popularity is most visible from spring to fall. Sometimes, it's hard to go for a weekend drive without encountering one. The American Heart Association's Heart Walk attracts more than one million participants at more than 600 events each year. WalkAmerica, the biggest fund-raiser for the March of Dimes, is held in 1,100 communities annually.

Most events cover relatively short distances, from 2K (1.25 miles) to 5K (3.1 miles), although some are marathons (26.2 miles) and half-marathons (13.1 miles). By collecting pledges from sponsors, walkers raise millions of dollars every year.

Walkathons inspire many of us, at all ages and levels of fitness, to get involved. Helping a good cause encourages us to lace up those sneakers and step out when we might not otherwise make the effort.

"When you walk just for the sake of walking, few people are truly motivated and keep it up," says Werner W.K. Hoeger, Ed.D., FACSM, professor of kinesiology and director of the Human Performance Laboratory, Boise State University. "If you have a goal in mind, then that motivates you and gets you going. This is beautiful."

A weekend walk

Having a goal has helped Denise C. Fox, of Brielle, NJ, prepare for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York City. The cause was important to Fox because two of her friends' mothers had battled breast cancer. "It made me realize that it could be any one of us," she says.

A friend urged her to be part of a five-woman walkathon team. Fox agreed, although, she says, "I've never done anything like this." That might not be a big deal for a 2K walkathon. But the Avon event, held in eight cities across the US, is a marathon walked over two days. Some participants walk even more-26 miles the first day and 13 miles on the second.

"I felt it was a challenge for me," says Fox, who is 32. "It made me feel as if I was doing something, getting the awareness out there." She is aiming to raise at least $1,800.

Before joining the walkathon, Fox had been exercising only once a week or so. Her job and toddler son needed much of her time. These days, she's trying to train regularly, walking about four miles, three times a week, and biking on one other day.

She notes her distances on a calendar. "Having that in front of me makes me accountable," she says. "But it's also encouraging me. I think, 'Look, you started out doing a quarter-mile back in January and it tired you. Now you did four miles the other night and you're still walking!"