Archive for February, 2012

Walking Your Way to Better Health, Wealth and Well-Being

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

Note: This post first appeared on Insight News on Friday, Feb. 24 from Joan Pasiuk, director of Bike Walk Twin Cities.

From your first steps as a child, you’ve known that walking is good for you. Not only does walking offer a host of health benefits, it also can provide several additional advantages – from saving you cash and enhancing your relationships to boosting your brain power and mood.

We’ve long known that walking boosts health. New research shows a significant risk reduction for developing type 2 diabetes among those who regularly walk briskly. In other studies, walking has been shown to reduce the pain of fibromyalgia, reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, and help you better manage your weight.

An 18-year study of 46,000 men and 15,000 women showed a 40% lower risk of developing a stroke among those who regularly walked.  And women who walk regularly after being diagnosed with breast cancer have a 45% greater chance of survival than those who are inactive, according to a prominent oncology journal.

Walking can help you save on gym costs. On average, gym memberships run $40-$60 per person per month. The cost of a single month of gym membership could easily pay for a new pair of sturdy, comfortable walking shoes.

Walking can also help cut your medication costs, not to mention the potential side effects of many medicines. Data from the National Walkers’ Health Study found that those who took the longest weekly walks were more likely to use less medication.

Walking with someone for a half-hour – a spouse, friend, child or other family member – naturally leads to conversation. Those who regularly walk with others report higher levels of satisfaction with their personal relationships. And if you’re a dog owner, that’s a great reason to take a walk. You’ll find your role as “top dog” in your home solidified if you regularly take your four-legged friend for regular strolls.

Need a mental boost? Go for a walk! A recent study of 278 midlife African-American women showed that those who regularly walked were significantly less depressed than those who did not. Similarly, an Italian study tracked 749 older adults who had been identified as experiencing memory problems, and found that those who expended the most energy walking had a 27% lower risk of developing dementia than their less energetic counterparts.

Considering our mild winter so far in the Twin Cities – one of the 10 warmest winters on record – February is shaping up to be a great month to walk. The Winter Walkoff 2012 campaign, through the end of February, specifically urges Twin Cities residents to get outside and walk at least once a day. Those who commit to the campaign are encouraged to post about it on Twitter, at #winterwalkoff.

We’re fortunate that the Twin Cities metro area is primarily pedestrian-friendly. Of the nation’s 52 largest metropolitan areas, we are among the nation’s safest spots for pedestrians, according to Transportation for America. And indeed, three out of four Twin Cities residents keep walking year-round, according to Bike Walk Twin Cities.

Yet even those who regularly walk do not typically walk enough to fully enjoy its ample benefits. The daily walking goal cited by most health experts is 10,000 steps – about 5 miles of walking, or approximately the equivalent of exercising vigorously for 30 minutes.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Dazzling New Bryant Ave. Mosaic Highlights Twin Cities Bike Ridership

Friday, February 17th, 2012

Highlighting the significance of bicycling in the Twin Cities, the new bicycle-themed Bryant Avenue Mosaic (at the Bryant Ave. Market at 3200 Bryant Ave. S. in Minneapolis) has been dazzling passerby since its unveiling in the fall of 2011.

Created and installed over six weeks by more than 180 trained volunteers, the mosaic is a natural fit for Bryant Ave. S., which has become a key north/south thoroughfare for bicyclists commuting between downtown and south Minneapolis. The mosaic, designed by Twin Cities artist Sharra Frank and made from thousands of colored and mirrored pieces of tile, is 24 feet long, covers more than 150 square feet, and includes 43 mirrored snowflakes.

The mosaic project was funded by a graffiti prevention micro-grant from the City of Minneapolis, the Calhoun Area Residents Action Group (CARAG) and Volunteers of America-Minnesota (VOA-MN), and overseen by Mary Ann Schoenberger, director of VOA-MN’s Southwest Senior Center (3612 Bryant Ave. S.). Mary Ann recruited and organized the project’s participants, “ranging in age from 5 to 95,” from several locations, including the Southwest Senior Center, residents of the senior center Walker Place, children from the after-school program at Bryant Square Park, and a volunteer group from Optum Health.

For Bike Walk Move, Mary Ann took a few minutes to answer a few questions about the mosaic project:

1. What can you tell us about the artist who created the mosaic?

Sharra Frank is the artist. Over the last couple of years, she worked with COMPAS on a summer art project for teenagers. She has done a number of major pieces in the Twin Cities, including mosaics at St. Paul’s Children’s Hospital. This was her first large-scale volunteer project.

2. Why was a bicyclist selected as the focal point of the mosaic? What do you believe this bicyclist says about bicycling in our community?

We held two community brainstorming sessions to come up with themes, ideas, and images for the mosaic. A number of people stated that they wanted a mosaic that had fewer, larger images, rather than many small images. We also heard from a number of people that they would like to see biking included, since the neighborhood contains a lot of bicyclists and since Bryant Ave. S. is a major bike route. A number of people also expressed interest in a winter theme. After holding the meetings, we realized that a scene featuring someone bicycling in the winter was a good celebration of the city and the neighborhood. Someone bicycling in a beautiful winter scene demonstrates that people in Minneapolis enjoy being in the outdoors and that biking can be done any time of the year. It also acknowledges Minneapolis’s reputation as one of the top cities for bikers and expresses the neighborhood’s pride in that.

3. Why were so many different people of all ages interested in helping create the mosaic?

Over 180 people between the ages of 5 and 95 worked on the mosaic. With literally thousands of pieces, it was necessary to have many hands involved in the project. We had specific partnerships with the dance class at Barton Open School, Bryant Square Park’s after school program, Walker Place, and Optum Health. We worked closely with the CARAG neighborhood association to inform the neighborhood about the project and many people who lived in the neighborhood wanted to be part of improving Bryant Avenue Market. Many of the seniors who participate at the Southwest Senior Center were involved because they enjoyed being part of a community art project and because they liked interacting with people from the neighborhood.

Many people were “hooked” once they started, as they saw that they were able to make something beautiful.  There was always a great sense of doing something good for the neighborhood and working together that permeated all of our building workshops. At the mosaic’s unveiling, we honored a core group of 12 volunteers who had donated more than 40 hours of time each to the mosaic’s construction.

4. What are some of the best, or most unique features of this stretch of Bryant Ave. S.?

The most unique features of Bryant Ave. S. between 30th and 40th Streets are the new bike lanes, Bryant Square Park (which has seen a major upgrade in the last decade with a new playground and concert area), the ice skating at Bryant Square Park and Lyndale Farmstead Park (and the fact that there are two parks within 8 blocks of each other on the same street), the institutions dedicated to seniors (Southwest Senior Center and Walker), and the mix of single-family, duplex and apartment buildings.

5. What has been the reaction of community members, and passerby, to the mosaic?

The reaction has been universally positive. During installation, we had dozens of people stop by to give positive feedback to the volunteers. Over 80 people attended the celebration and unveiling ceremony. People have told me that they think the project should win an award, or tell me how much they miss working on it with the other volunteers.

6.  Why was the mosaic project undertaken?

The project was undertaken for the following reasons:

a. Good research that shows that seniors benefit from being involved in high-level arts projects

b. The feedback from the seniors and the community about our last mosaic project (on the southern wall of the Southwest Senior Center) was very positive, and people had been asking if we would do another one so that they could participate

c. Since completing the Southwest Senior Center mosaic, we have not had any graffiti on our building

d. The City of Minneapolis had money to fund such a project

e. The project gave us the chance to have a lasting impact on improving the City of Minneapolis

f. One of our United Way goals is to bring the generations together, and art is a great way to do this

g. The project gave us a great way of introducing our services to area seniors and their caregivers

i. The mosaic gave us a way of providing quality volunteer opportunities for the neighborhood

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Featured, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Cyclists, walkers brave sub-zero temps at Winter Wonder Walk/Ride

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Wind chills in Minneapolis as low as -10F didn’t keep scores of bicyclists and pedestrians from enjoying the Winter Wonder Walk/Ride on Sat., Feb. 11, on the Midtown Greenway.

The event, sponsored by the Midtown Greenway Coaliton, Bike Walk Twin Cities, and the Minneapolis Bike Coalition, encouraged current and would-be bicyclists and walkers to try out new bike equipment and socialize along the Midtown Greenway.

Event host Freewheel Midtown Bike Center touted free rides on fat-tire bikes — ideal for winter bicycling!

Representatives from Freewheel Midtown Bike Center served up refreshments and hot coffee to passerby along the Midtown Greenway.

Richard Parnell, a volunteer with the Midtown Greenway Coalition, roasted marshmallows on a unique bike-wheel roaster, and served up hot s'more snacks!

Passerby along the Midtown Greenway were invited to try out Nice Ride Minnesota bicycles with studded tires -- a demonstration to see if the public might be interested in using Nice Ride bicycles during the winter. (Nice Ride bicycles have previously been stored during the winter.)

Visitors to the Nice Ride Minnesota station were asked to write their comments about using Nice Ride bikes with studded tires. Depending on public interest, Nice Ride may begin a trial run of making Nice Ride bikes with studded tires available during winter on the University of Minnesota campus.

Dr. Mary Arneson (in yellow) led a team of four tricycles -- a "trike train"-- on demo rides along the Midtown Greenway. Arneson and her husband, Dr. Dale Hammerschmidt, came up with the trike train concept as a way for multiple riders to ride and socialize together. Both Arneson and Hammerschmidt are avid, regular bicyclists.

Alicia Cameron, marketing manager for Nice Ride Minnesota, leads a group of three bicyclists on Nice Ride bicycles in "the world's slowest bike race" -- a chance for riders to progress as slowly as they could remain upright to a designated finish line.

Visitors to the Winter Wonder event had a fun time trying out sample fat-tire bikes, along an obstacle course set up by the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center.

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Featured | No Comments »