Reno-area employers sign on for heart-healthy walk program

The American Heart Association's nationwide Start! Walking Program, which began in April, has had nearly 70 Reno companies sign up, says Marcella Rojas, senior communications director for the AHA's western affiliates.

Benefits to a healthier workforce include reduced healthcare claims and costs, reduced absenteeism, and increased productivity, the heart association says.

The Start! Walking Program encourages creativity from participants as they walk to work or on "walking routes" within the workplace.

Instead of completing the circuit from the copier to the break room to the water cooler, employees can imagine walking from Los Angeles to New York or hiking the 2,600-mile Pacific Coast Trail from your worksite. Employees set mileage goals, and then they use a map and plot their mileage along a chosen route.

When employers register with the AHA, the group provides information on coaxing participation from even the most devout exercise-shirkers. For more information log on to americanheart.org/start.