Tamil Nadu promotes ‘Health Walk’ by identifying walking tracks in districts

Chennai: Inspired by the walking track in Tokyo, the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday launched ‘Health Walk’, an initiative that encourages people to walk 8 km everyday aimed at reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes by promoting physical activity among the people.

The Health Department has identified Health Walk Tracks in headquarters of all 38 districts and has published their details with directions of the entire route on the website of the Department of Public Health (DPH).

Braving rains, Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin launched the ‘Health Walk’ on Saturday and walked the 8-km route that begins and ends at the Dr Muthulakshmi Park in Adyar along with Health Minister Ma Subramanian, an accomplished marathon runner, Chennai Mayor R Priya, and senior government officials and public representatives.

Teams from the Health Department will join the ‘Health Week’ on the first Sunday every month in all 38 district headquarters to explain the importance of physical activity. The government also plans to conduct medical camps to help people get screened for various parameters like blood pressure, and blood sugar.

The ’Health Walk’ is part of a slew of announcements that Subramanian made in April while presenting the Demands for Grants for the Health Department. Officials said the government wanted to promote walking among people as various studies suggest that physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 30 per cent and diabetes by 27 per cent.

“Health Walk Tracks have been notified. We have ensured pre-plantation in most of the areas and made arrangements for seating wherever it is possible. Our aim is to encourage people to walk 6 km by clocking 10,000 steps a day. Walking, jogging, or running have proven to be the best modes of exercise,” Subramanian, who has so far run 141 marathons, told DH.

‘Selfie points’ have also been installed in all 38 Health Walk routes across the state to enable walkers to take pictures and post it on social media as officials believe this will help spread greater awareness about the positive impacts of walking.

On the first Sunday every month, the Health Department also plans to provide water, lemon and other sources of hydration free of cost to encourage more people to walk, Subramanian said. The route is inspired from the health system in Tokyo that encourages people to walk for 8 km, effectively taking 10,000 steps, the minister added.

“Our health is our responsibility. We want people to indulge in physical activities as they reduce the risk of several diseases. People should inculcate the habit of walking and we are promoting it from the government side,” the minister added.