Jefferson County Health Department- Hillsboro, MO- Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) recently launched a new community health program, JeffCo Wellness Walks, which focuses on encouraging physical and mental health activities while enjoying local parks and walking trails.
JeffCo Wellness Walks program consists of 10 activity signs posted along walking trails/paths in local parks. The signs encourage physical activity prompts such as jumping jacks or lunges as well as mental health prompts such as taking a few deep breaths or giving yourself compliments. Each physical activity sign also includes a QR code which links to videos showing how to complete the exercise as well as how to modify each exercise to be easier or more challenging.
“Part of our goal through our Maternal & Child Health grant funding is to encourage physical activity and healthier lifestyles within families,” states Community Engagement Team Lead, Adam Peters. “We saw great success with some of our previous programs in the park, so we decided to expand on that and provide something for families to engage with when it fits their schedule best.”
JeffCo Wellness Walks launched in early fall of this year and has been implemented in five walking trails so far with more planned in the coming months. Currently, wellness walks are set up at:
Peace Pantry- 8100 S Industrial Dr, Cedar Hill, MO 63016
Hillsboro City Park- 10975 MO-21, Hillsboro, MO 63050
Arnold City Park- 2400 Bradley Beach Rd, Arnold, MO 63010
Pomme Park- 1 Golfview Dr, Arnold, MO 63010
Northwest Jefferson County Sports Complex- 4900 Byrnesville Rd, House Springs, MO 63051
“We are getting positive feedback from the community about the JeffCo Wellness Walk signs on our walking path, and we have a lot of people that are walking,” states Peace Pantry Board President, Linda Schroeder. “I have been able to engage with some of those using the trail and it’s wonderful to see the impact projects like this have on residents.”
For cities or parks interested in implementing JeffCo Wellness Walks, contact the health department at communications@jeffcohealth.org. To learn more about JeffCo Wellness Walks or find a list of locations, visit the health department website at www.jeffcohealth.org/jeffco-wellness-walk.