You’ve seen me out and about in the Community, but did you know I’ve got Elementary students from all over West Orange County running and walking before and after school with my club, Westly’s Mile?
Healthy West Orange is proud to work alongside the American Heart Association to help students build a foundation of healthy habits. We’re in eleven schools now and hope to be in 29 schools by 2025.
The health benefits associated with a physically active lifestyle in children include weight control, lower blood pressure, improved psychological well-being, and a predisposition to increased physical activity in adulthood. Increased physical activity has been associated with an increased life expectancy and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In its first year, the Westly’s Mile programs’ 396 participants increased their physical activity by participating routinely in the program. Overall, parents and caregivers have reported a 17% increase in student participants getting 31-60 minutes of physical activity outside of school and 100% of Westly’s Mile coordinators found overall positive health benefits from participating students.
If your west Orange school is interested in having a Westly’s Mile club of your own, please reach out to Linda.Lenard@heart.org
