National Start! Walking Day to be Held at Petit National Ice Center

Milwaukee area residents are encouraged to Start! walking for a healthy-heart on April 8, 2009

Take a walk for a healthier heart with the American Heart Association on April 8 at the Petit National Ice Center in West Allis. Track admission will be waved all day in honor of National Start! Walking Day.

Walk the indoor track, have your blood pressure checked and learn more about preventing heart disease and stroke in your life. This free event takes place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., so stop before work for some coffee and a brisk walk or during the lunch hour for a walk and lunch provided by SUBWAY®. Bring the entire family in the evening for a walk, meet the Klement’s World Famous Racing Sausages and participate in kids activities for a healthy lifestyle. More details can be found at www.heart.org/startmilwaukee.

About 70 percent of Americans do not engage in any regular physical activity and heart disease and stroke, despite being largely preventable through healthy lifestyle choices, remain the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of all Americans. Taking the first step in preventing individual risks for heart disease and stroke is as easy as taking a walk, so the American Heart Association celebrates National Start! Walking Day each year, as a reminder to Americans to start moving.

National Start! Walking Day provides encouragement for Americans to start being healthy by dedicating at least 30 minutes of their day to walking. National Start! Walking Day is part of the American Heart Association’s Start! initiative, a groundbreaking national movement that calls on all Americans and their employees to create a culture of physical activity and health to live longer, healthier lives through walking.

Start! is sponsored nationally by SUBWAY® Restaurants, Healthy Choice® and AstraZeneca. For more information about the Start! movement and how it is helping improve the health of American by focusing on walking, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit heart.org/startmilwaukee.

About the American Heart Association

Founded in 1924, we’re the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases — America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers — we fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health. To learn more or join us in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.