"Walk two miles and call me in the morning ..."

RELEASE: Oct. 19, 2007 – Volume XXXIX, No. 42

We’ve all heard the universal advice, “Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.” But how about a dose of prevention? A growing body of evidence is showing that outdoor activities like walking are critical in ensuring healthy bodies. This indisputable link between recreation and health makes a ‘Yes!’ vote on Ballot Question #3 just the right prescription in the upcoming election.

Physical fitness is a core component of a healthy lifestyle. Despite the science and underlying old-fashioned common sense, we don’t always make the time in our busy, car-dependent schedules to exercise. But as health care costs continue to spiral upward, we need to get creative and find new opportunities to exercise.

That’s the reasoning behind a new National Parks Service (NPS) initiative called “Pathways to Healthy Living,” a nationwide effort to encourage more physical activity in parks. Park and trail advocates are partnering with hospitals, health care providers and recreation groups to improve physical activity in their communities.

The initiative is a partnership between the NPS Rivers & Trails program and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Early results are promising: 25 percent of the Rivers & Trails-supported projects have an explicit goal of improving community health, or are linked with a health services partner.

The Pathways program has some innovative twists – like having doctors write "prescriptions" for walking and biking. In addition, the health community is encouraged to advocate for specific projects like bike paths or hiking trails. The health care sector, in turn, can give park and trail advocates expertise in how best to serve those who need physical activity the most.

You don’t need an expensive gym membership to exercise! Take a look around and see that you are already a “member” at hundreds of park and trails throughout this state we’re in!

Healthier living is just one of the many reasons to support Ballot Question #3 this coming Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6. A yes vote will provide $200 million to keep New Jersey’s statewide preservation programs – Green Acres, Farmland, Blue Acres, and Historic Preservation – funded for one more year.

Since 1998, open space preservation has been funded by the Garden State Preservation Trust. However, the Trust has now committed almost all of its funds, and passage of Ballot Question #3 is needed to continue New Jersey’s statewide preservation efforts.

If you can find a fitness center with more natural beauty and fresh air than you’ll find in a park or along an outdoor trail, let’s hear about it! Make sure you vote ‘Yes!’ on ballot question #3 this fall, and help preserve the very best “gym” in the world!

You can learn more about Ballot Question #3 from the Keep It Green Campaign at www.outdoorrecreationalliance.com/kig.htm, and more about Pathways to Healthy Living at www.nps.gov/ncrc/portals/health/index.htm. And I hope you’ll contact me at info@njconservation.org, or visit NJCF’s website at www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources.

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