VICKSBURG, Miss. -- Officials are encouraging people to walk or jog through the rolling hills of the Vicksburg National Military Park to get in shape.
The Vicksburg Post reports that the park is participating in the initiative organized by the National Park Service and the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.
Let's Move Outside is a spin-off of first lady Michelle Obama's nationwide Let's Move initiative to end childhood obesity.
Link: http://www.vicksburgpost.com
The Natchez Trace Parkway, a short drive from Vicksburg, is also among the 65 national parks participating.
One in four children in Mississippi and more than a third of adult Mississippians are obese, says an August report on the country's obesity rate released by the Trust for America's Health.
Military park officials hope to work with Shape Up Vicksburg, a fitness challenge launched last year by local gym owner Linda Fondren, to plan events geared toward young people and their families.
One program the park will continue to tout is Junior Ranger, a year-round activity for ages 8 to 14 in which the children learn about soldier life and the park's terrain. To increase participation, a rewards and recognition program will be offered.
The park's new education specialist, Melissa Perez, said ranger-led and self-guided hikes are in the works.
"I'm hoping to kick this off in late winter or early spring," Perez said. "The goal here is to promote healthy minds through the wealth of history, while promoting healthy bodies with the world around them."
No federal money is being provided to launch the Let's Move Outside campaign, but park officials are looking into grants.
"It isn't going to take a ton of financial resources because, in many ways, we've been doing this for a long time," said Mike Madell, the park superintendent.
The National Park Service says 584,102 people visited the 1,800-acre Vicksburg park in 2009, down from a high of just over 1 million in 2002.
Gary Walker, 60, a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, walks three to five miles daily.
"You can do hills or you can do flat places," Walker said. "There are a lot of places you can jog or do as much as you want and enjoy the scenery in the meantime."
For children, Perez recommends the route on the south loop.
"It's about 2.7 miles," she said, "and it's enough to get a good workout, but it's not as long as the others. I like it because it's self-contained."
Information from: The Vicksburg Post, http://www.vicksburgpost.com
Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2010/11/29/2672238/vburg-park-takes-part-in-outdoor.html#ixzz170qeKDPE
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