Healthiest State Walk Gets Oskaloosa In Motion

Children and childcare providers and YMCA members take off on the Healthiest State Walk

Oskaloosa, Iowa – As the doors swung open to the YMCA, the youth at the sites programs and the staff joined others gathered for the Healthiest State Walk.

Executive Director for the Mahaska County YMCA, Dawn Collins, talked about how this year, the program has changed slightly from the past. She explained that the efforts to walk are up to the locations. “Noon doesn’t always work for everybody,” Collins said.

So, much like the YMCA, Fareway in Oskaloosa also chose to utilize that option and walk when it was most convenient for them.

“So at the Y, we tried to include both members and our child care,” Collins explained.

Just a few blocks east, and a couple of hours later, Mahaska Health Partnership took their opportunity to participate in the walk.

Cathy Stahl, MHP Marketing and Development Director, said that as one of the area’s largest employers and “also as a local health care resource for the county, we’re real excited to participate in the state-wide initiative.”

Iowa is now ranked #9 in the nation when it comes to being physically, emotionally and mentally healthy, according to the 2012 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. This is an improvement from #16 Iowa previously held.

To learn more about the Healthiest State Initiative, visit http://www.iowahealthieststate.com/