The 700 employees at the downtown City Hall facilities are cordially invited to start getting a move on ­­­– step away from the PC and instead take a few laps around City Hall during breaks and take the stairs whenever possible.

The City will mark the start of the official “Get Your Move On“ Employee Walking Program at a special kick off event. Some 62 percent of the City’s full time workforce are in their 40s and 50s. Age is often accompanied by weight gain and therefore associated with increased risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and depression. Walking is the greatest single intervention for overall health benefits. A healthy dose of walking can even be accomplished 10 minutes at a time throughout the day.

The four walking paths and maps that are part of the launch were created courtesy of the City’s partner Kaiser Permanente. The maps indicate the distance around City Hall and to three other destinations up to 1 1/8 mile away.

As part of the event, City Manager John Shirey, along with representatives from Kaiser Permanente will lead more than 100 employees on an inaugural walk. They include Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Physician in Chief Robert Azevedo, MD and Physician Ambassador Diane Dailey, M.D.

“We’re happy to participate with Kaiser Permanente to take this step toward workplace wellness,” said Assistant City Manager Howard Chan. “It’s easy to work into the day, it’s free and the health benefits are extraordinary.”

“The benefits of walking are well-documented, from helping to maintain a healthy weight and heart, to managing blood pressure and stress. These walking paths will be a great resource for people at all fitness levels, and you don’t have to have any additional equipment besides the right shoes,” said Robert Azevedo, MD, Physician-in-Chief, Kaiser Permanente Sacramento. “This is part of Kaiser Permanente's mission to help improve the health of the communities we serve."

For more information about the many health benefits of walking, please visit     http://www.kpwalktothrive.org.