- April 26, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
Two participants now encourage each other to keep exercising.
Teresa White, out early one morning for a brisk walk for exercise, said she was really tempted to hit the snooze alarm that morning. But she knew her friend, Pam Kelley, would be expecting to see her there.
“If Pam wasn’t going to be there, I would have hit the snooze,” she said.
The two walk each week in the Mayor’s Mile, a continuation of the Mayor’s Fitness Challenge, sponsored by Florida Hospital Medical Center. The walkers meet at the Farmer’s Market at City Hall.
White and Kelley met in the Challenge, and now encourage each other to keep exercising.
The second year of the Mayor’s Challenge ran from Jan. 4 through March. Unlike the first year, participants are getting together throughout the summer to help each other stay in shape.
“So many people said they wanted to keep in touch,” said Christina Maguire, Mayor’s Challenge organizer and risk manager in the city’s Human Resources department.
She said the participants wanted social interaction, support and a social network. This summer, they are getting together a couple times a month at local coffee shops and the Mayor’s Mile walk.
They are also getting discounts for jazzercise at city facilities and Maguire said she is looking into arranging yoga and other activities.
Kelley said it’s easy to stop exercising when you work out alone. With a partner, you have “accountability,” she said.
They met when Kelley, who is from Indiana, noticed that White was wearing an Indianapolis Colts jacket. They started talking and found they had a lot in common, such as kayaking.
“We support each other and do things together,” Kelley. “It’s better than sitting at home.”
Another advantage to walking is that they have discovered things around the city, such as Ames Park on South Beach Street, which includes a collection of statues and water features.
“I can’t believe how many years I lived here without knowing about that,” Kelley said.
They said they also discovered a paved trail through the woods across from Tomoka State Park that was built a couple of years ago.
“Ormond Beach has a lot of nice things people don’t realize,” White said.
She said they discovered a lot of businesses that offer a variety of exercise and yoga while taking part in the Mayor’s Challenge, because discounts were provided to exercise studios as well as restaurants.
“I wish more people would participate,” Kelley said. “You get to meet people in your own town.”
She said that maybe the word “challenge” scares people.
“They think of a reality show on TV,” she said.
While walking the Mayor’s Mile, White must stop every now and then, because of her Parkinson’s disease. But she said being active has been very good for her.
“It keeps me moving,” she said.
Yoga and bike riding have also helped as well as walking, White said.
