Fellow Kansans, National Walk @ Lunch Day is today, and I hope you will join me and our Commerce team by taking a walk.

Many of us think we have to schedule a specific time in our day to go to the gym or exercise. Well, we all know that type of plan doesn’t always work with our busy and ever-changing schedules and life interruptions. But walking is something we can do anytime and anywhere, by ourselves or with others, and no gym or special equipment is required. Taking a walk is the easiest form of exercise and can be done inside or outside no matter the weather – walk in your neighborhood, at the shopping mall, at a park, in your building at work, at home, the options are numerous. Just 10 minutes of walking a few times a day can offer immense health benefits, such as reducing stress, improving cardiovascular activity, burning calories and increasing stamina.

I’ve participated in the Walk @ Lunch program for several years, both in my hometown of Iola and here in Topeka. Walking gives me time to think and reflect, and I always feel better when I get back to the office. Daily walks help promote good health and a healthy population, and a healthy population is good for businesses that need healthy workers. There’s no question that we need healthy Kansans to have a healthy economy, healthy communities, and healthy families. 

In addition, Kansas has a lot of great opportunities to explore and learn more about our amazing state, all while getting in those daily steps.

• Take a walk down the Main Street in your community. Pop in to visit a few small businesses in your community or explore a new part of town.  If you need a place to start, we have 35 Designated Main Street communities across Kansas that target revitalization and preservation of downtown districts.
• Explore the different neighborhoods in your community. Look for community art installations or murals throughout town that developed organically or through our Kansas Mural Making program. Art is a vital component to quality of life and enhances the look and feel of every community.
• Take a stroll along the numerous walking and hiking trails in the state.  Kansas Tourism has a page devoted to walking and hiking trails – Kansas Trails – designed for all physical abilities with detailed maps and location information.
• Or, make a trip to one of our twenty-eight state parks.  Our state parks offer hundreds of miles of trails and gorgeous sites to walk through and visit.

Each day we can choose to make a positive difference in our health. Let’s do it together and explore Kansas while we’re at it. 

David C. Toland

Lt. Governor/Secretary of Commerce