Staying healthy through friendship and fellowship

It’s a bright morning as the sun hits the windows in the Atrium of Robinwood Professional Center. Marilyn Womack, and her two friends of more than 25 years, have their sneakers laced and are hitting a great stride as they tread a well-known route.

“This floor and that one,” Womack says pointing to the level above. “We don’t stop,” she smiled.

Womack, Cassandra Campbell and Marion Mitchell walk every day and are a shining example of what staying healthy can be.

Womack says she initially started walking to lose weight, a goal which was succeeded and surpassed. Her steps are part of a larger community effort to lose one million pounds by the year 2030.

Go for Bold is a community-wide initiative aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles for the residents of Washington County. You’re invited to join in on the fun, and even create your only healthy lifestyles and habits like Womack and her friends.

If you feel like extra weight is holding you down, you’re not alone. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 42 percent of Americans aged 20 and older are considered obese; more than 73 percent are considered overweight. Falling into either of these categories increases your risk of the following:

• Heart disease

• High blood pressure

• High LDL cholesterol

• Type 2 diabetes

 • Stroke

• Certain types of cancers

• Clinical depression and anxiety

Being part of the Go for Bold initiative ties you into to the weight loss, nutrition and wellness tools you need to live a healthier life.

Whether it’s a group of friends who have known each other for years, or a group of new friends with similar goals, now is the time to take a Bold step in your health!

“It’s about friendship, fellowship and staying healthy,” Womack said.

For more information, visit: HealthyWashingtonCounty.com.