FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, please call Jennifer Ebert at (859) 977-4614

On Saturday, April 18, hundreds of people will get together to do their hearts good, and everyone else’s hearts, too.

This is the 2009 Clark County Start! Heart Walk. Across Kentucky and across the country, the American Heart Association holds walks to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke—and to raise money to fight them.

Walkers secure contributions from family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors. These proceeds go to the American Heart Association, which funds scientific research, advocacy in issue areas central to cardiovascular health, and public and professional education. Heart disease and stroke are the number-one and number-three killers in Kentucky. Stroke is a leading disabler.

The Heart Walk will be at Winchester Traveling Trail, at the corner of Colby Road and the Bypass. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the walk starts at 10 a.m.

Most Heart Walk participants join or form company teams, but individual walkers are welcome, too.

The Heart Walk is part of the American Heart Association’s Start! movement. Many people work in occupations that call for little physical activity—which can lead to weight gain and obesity, which in turn can lead to job absenteeism, lost productivity and increased healthcare costs to employers. Start! is a workplace walking program designed to help people get more physical activity during the business day.

As little as 30 minutes of walking each day can help reduce heart disease and stroke risk factors. For every hour of regular, vigorous physical activity, a person can gain up to two hours of life expectancy.

The program is free and comes with a coordinator’s kit. An attractive feature of the Start! initiative is www.mystartonline.org, where employees can track their activities and nutrition, toward reaching their goals.

Those who want more information about Start! or the Start! Heart Walk, or to participate, may call the American Heart Association at (859) 977-4614 or visit

http://heartwalk.kintera.org/lexingtonky.

April 8 is National Start! Walking Day. On that Wednesday, the American Heart Association urges employers to encourage their employees to wear their sneakers and walk 30 minutes during the workday. The 30 minutes don’t have to be all at once; they may be broken up throughout the day, turning break times and lunch times into opportunities to add a little bit of heart-healthy physical activity to the day.

For more information about National Start! Walking Day in Kentucky, visit www.americanheart.org and navigate via ZIP code to your nearest event page.