A UT Extension program designed to increase the daily physical activity of Tennesseans aimed at:

1. Decreasing the overweight and obesity trends in the state.
2. Developing a more active life to help Tennesseans manage illnesses and chronic diseases.
3. Developing a more physically active life to help Tennesseans protect physical and emotional health.
 
Join this University of Tennessee Walking Program!

Looking for a unique and fun way to motivate your employees, church members, county residents, or students to become physically active? Maybe you are looking for a way to help motivate yourself to become more physically active. Whatever your needs are, Walk Across Tennessee DeKalb County can provide the support and fun needed to get people moving! 

What is Walk Across Tennessee DeKalb County?


Walk Across Tennessee is an 8-week walking program for teams of eight people. The teams will have a friendly competition to see who can log the most miles walking, jogging, biking, dancing or other types of physical activity.

Team members do not have to walk together. Some may prefer to walk outside, while others walk on a treadmill. You may choose from a variety of activities by using physical activity equivalents. See the Exercise conversion chart at http://eteamz.active.com/WalkAcrossTennesseeDeKalbCounty/handouts/ for more information. Teams' mileage each week will be posted on this website, the Smithville Review, The Middle Tennessee Times, at the DeKalb county UT Extension office and at shelter number 1 at Greenbrook Park organization, so everyone can see the teams' progress. The team who walks the farthest "across Tennessee" will win, but everyone who participates will take home a healthy habit . . . walking for fitness.

The program materials contain all the information and forms needed to implement Walk Across Tennessee! Additional materials are provided on various health topics called Health Breaks, which are brief classes with handouts. Topics addressed include: alzheimer's disease, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, physical activity, preventive health care, stress and weight management. Also available are Health Breaks for Youth. Topics covered include: physical activity, safety, nutrition, tobacco use and sun safety.

Why Join This Walking Program?

Get fit
Lose weight
Meet new people
Developing a walking habit
Have fun
Decrease blood pressure, blood cholesterol or blood glucose levels

Who Can Join?

Any one can join this walking program. You can form teams of neighbors, friends, students, family members or at specific places such as schools, worksites, churches, fitness and recreational centers, assisted living, hospitals and health departments.

Why Walk?
1. Over sixty percent of adult Tennesseans are overweight or obese.
2. The lack of physical activity is a major reason why children, teens and adults are overweight.
3. Developing the walking habit is a simple and inexpensive way to move more.
4. Moving More Protects Your Health Participants have reported these benefits:
          *Keeps you at a healthy weight Improves your mood and                              your ability to cope with stress
          *Helps you sleep better
          *Strengthens your immune system to fight infections
          *Increases your flexibility to reduce falls
          *Makes you feel more energetic
          *Helps you lose weight if needed
          *Moving More Fights Chronic Diseases

Arthritis --- strengthens muscles around the joints

Cancer --- helps to protect you against some cancers Diabetes --- improves blood sugar control Heart Disease --- lowers blood pressure and blood cholesterol

Osteoporosis --- helps to strengthen and build bones Overweight and obesity ---
drop pounds and keep them off

Want to Join Walk Across Tennessee?

1. Form a team of up to 8 members of any ages and choose a team
    captain. Biking and jogging teams are limited to 4 members.
2. Download the Captain's packet from the handouts sidebar.
3. Complete indivdual and team registration forms and either
    email Mary Sanders at msander2@utk.edu or April Martin at
    amartin3@utk.edu, fax at (615)-597-1421, or bring by the DeKalb County Extension Office before SEPTEMBER 20.
4. Walking will begin on SATURDAY, MARCH. 29 and end on MAY 24. Turn in the miles you walk each week to your team captain by Monday of each week. Each week team captains need to submit their team's total mileage on the site news menu on the website, email, or fax by Wednesday of every week. Individual team member's weekly mileage does not need to be reported until the last week of walking. Total team mileage is all that is required the first 7 weeks.


Contact the DeKalb county Extension office or: April B. Martin, M.S. Family & Consumer Science Extension Agent or Assistant Mary Sanders, DeKalb County, 115 West Market St. Smithville, TN 37166.  Phone: (615) 597-4945 Fax: (615)-597-1421 E-mail: amartin3@utk.edu or msander2@utk.edu

The annual Walk Across Tennessee competition recently ended with the Star Night Owls team emerging as the overall winner. Walk Across Tennessee is an eight-week competition to see which team can log the most miles walking or doing other exercises. The goal is to walk the number of miles it takes to get across Tennessee which is 500 miles.

The Star Night Owls, a team from Star Manufacturing, won the rotating trophy this year by walking a total of 2,108 miles. This is the equivalent of walking across Tennessee and back twice! Total miles walked from all teams was nearly 9,000!