Published: March 27, 2008 10:34 am         

Mineral seniors can step forward to improve health

KEYSER - Wanted: Mineral County senior citizens willing to take a step or two toward better health.

The Mineral County Aging & Family Services will sign up seniors next week for its annual walking program.

Affiliated with Gov. Joe Manchin's West Virginia on the Move, the local walking program is designed to get participants to increase the number of steps taken each day by approximately 2,000 and to cut their calorie intake each day by approximately 100.

Aging & Family Services representative Carol King told the Healthy Mineral County Coalition on Tuesday that many of those seniors who participated in previous walking programs were able to lose some weight, lower their cholesterol and regulate their blood pressure as a result of the activity.

"We'll be going around to the senior centers next week to rally them up to take part again this year," she said.

Approximately 70 people between the ages of 47 and 86 logged millions of steps - or thousands of miles - in last year's program.

Eight of those walkers - Jim and Sue Burdock, Tom and Jean Braithwaite and Pauline Lambka of Elk Garden, and Naomi Snider, Curtis Crawford and Wilma Fout of Keyser - each walked more than 1 million steps, according to Dawn Mallow of Aging & Family Services.

King said she hopes to surpass that with this year's efforts.

The cost to participate in the program is $10, which covers a T-shirt and pedometer.

Seniors may sign up for the program next week at the following locations:

* Piedmont Mid-Rise: Tuesday from 11 a.m. to noon.

* Frankfort Senior Center: Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

* Elk Garden Fire Hall: Thursday from 10:20 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

* Keyser Senior Center Health and Wellness Center: Friday from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

King said participants will begin the week of April 7 by walking three consecutive days in order to determine the daily average number of steps taken.

They will be encouraged to increase that average by 2,000 steps, or approximately one mile.

"Remember," she said, "aging is mandatory, but healthy aging is optional."

Healthy Mineral County Coalition Chairman Dr. Wayne Spiggle praised the Aging & Family Services for the success of its program.

Contact Liz Beavers at lbeavers@times-news.com.