Pennyrile FCS WalkTober Challenge

Low levels of physical activity, unhealthy nutrition, and poor mental health are all determinants of several chronic diseases. These behaviors are now considered major public health concerns and require effective behavior change interventions. Fit Blue is a community-based campaign to increase physical activity and health awareness in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Building physical activity into the day does not require special equipment or a certain location. As participants take part in Fit Blue, they have tools to transition to a more active lifestyle focusing on eating healthier, moving more, and practicing mindfulness.

A smartphone-based application (FitBlueKY) is a four-week walking challenge focused on increasing participant’s participation in regular physical activity, choosing a nutritious diet, and improving health outcomes for Kentucky citizens. As an innovative strategy to improve and increase movement within the Pennyrile Area, the Family and Consumer Sciences Agents in 6 counties, the ANR Agent in one county, and staff assistants in two counties, implemented WalkTober, a Fit Blue Challenge. 

Through this program, participants focused on improving health behaviors by making lifestyle choices to increase physical activity and eat nutritious meals. One hundred fifty-nine adults participated in this program, reporting 32,645,552 steps, which is approximately 16,323 miles. As a result of this program, 92% became aware of the benefits of regular physical activity, 90% percent reported having gained the knowledge and skills to be physically active, as a result 82% reported an increase in physical activity levels.

Concerning overall health status, 53% of participant noticed an improvement in one or more health indicator (cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose). In addition to individual behavior change 49% reported being more aware of places in their community to access nutritious foods. 

At the completion of the program, participants shared: 

”It gave me the motivation to be more active and make better food choices.” 

“It helped me to be more mindful about my physical activity; made me more aware of the need to get up and move during the day rather than sitting at my desk all day. I got up to walk every hour. It helped me be more aware of how much I needed to move to 'get my steps' for the day.”

Crittenden County had eight participants who walked a total of 1,234,763 steps and the Crittenden county FCS agent served on the planning committee.