According to the Kentucky County Healthcare Profiles in Harlan County 37% of adults are obese and 15.3% of adults have diabetes.  The health rankings show that 27% stated that they have poor or fair health and Harlan is ranked #116 overall in the state of Kentucky. 

Exercise reduces risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancer.  Increase of energy can improve your mental and overall well-being.  Harlan County Extension promoted a 6-week walking program challenging participants to walk at least 3 days a week for 30 minutes per day.  Over 850 participants participated in the program with 90% of participants completing.  The participants turned in weekly walking logs that described how they chose to be active for the week and how long they were active.  Exercise activities were offered at the Extension office one day per week where participants could engage in simple walking exercises as well as chair exercise. Participants completed over 6,885 hours of activity through the Get Moving Harlan County program.  100% of participants said that they felt better after being physically active and wanted to continue to do so after the program.

 The Get Moving Kentucky physical activity based program educated community members on the importance of exercise, health benefits and healthier eating choices to help participants not only educate themselves in being more physically active but also to make better eating choices as they do.  Participants were eligible for a prize for those who completed the challenge.

Some of the participants stated the following, “Because my daughter asked me to participate with her I have lost over 20 pounds.!”  Another participant also stated that they had lost 20 pounds during the 6 weeks of walking.  Numerous participants stated how much better they felt because of the program.