Active Fall Newsletter

Do you want to save $540 a year? Of course you do...
At three dollars a gallon a Jackson worker with a seven mile commute has an average cost of driving per month to work of $110 and per year of $1,335. Changing to walking, biking, or transit two days a week can save $45 a month or $540 a year! That is just commuting to and from work for one person. Families that drive separately would save even more money. Calculate your driving costs and see how much you could save by switching to active transportation.

What to do when the temperature drops: Fall and Winter Fitness
When you are sitting in your house this winter, tired of watching television, and a bad case of cabin fever kicks in, what do you do? Bundle up in winter layers, get your dog, your spouse or your kids, and set out for a walk! In just sixty minutes of walking you can burn about 360 calories- an excellent way to get your daily dose of physical activity and be on your way to good health!

Walking in the fall and winter gives you a whole new world of beautiful scenery unique to Michigan. Enjoying the scenery is not just for summer. Head around your neighborhood or onto a local trail for some of the most beautiful fall and winter sights you'll ever see!


Reprinted from "Take the Roof off Winter"

In just sixty minutes of walking you can burn about 360 calories--an excellent way to get your daily dose of physical activity and be on your way to good health!

LifeWays Company Bikes Program
You've heard of company cars--but company bikes? Biking is one of the quickest and healthiest ways to travel for trips less than five miles. Often we live farther than five miles from work, but may have meetings or lunch errands within five miles. The Company Bikes program allows employees to choose biking for short trips by easily checking out one of three different size bikes for use anytime during the day to ride to meetings or lunch around town. If you live within biking distance you can also reserve a bike to ride home and to work to be a regular smart commuter.

In addition to the new bikes, newly installed bike parking and lockers make biking convenient for employees. To encourage use of the new facilities LifeWays employees have been receiving "Personalized Active Transportation Plans" from the Fitness Council showing walking and biking routes in Jackson and tips for being active. Additionally, the Wellness Team at LifeWays held a lunch-time training on Wednesday, Sept. 28^th with sessions on bike safety, bike maintenance, and selecting the right bike. Over half of employees came to show their interest in this new program. Michelle Johnson, Wellness Team Co-coordinator, stated she "was very excited to see how many employees we have that are interested in learning new ways to stay healthy and incorporate active transportation into their lives." Ms. Johnson added, "It was a very exciting day, and I know that the bikes will get some great use when the weather gets warm again."

Other worksites interested in promoting walking and biking should contact the Fitness Council at info@fitnesscouncil.org or 517-990-9798.

The Fitness Council of Jackson began in 1996 and currently aims to "lead our community to lifelong physical activity" through its support of quality physical education in schools and Project U-Turn (a Cool Cities initiative to increase walking and biking for transportation). The Fitness Council of Jackson is endorsed by the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health, and Sports.