Off the beaten path
Published 11:11 pm Thursday, August 27, 2015
There are more than 27 miles of walking trails in more than a dozen locations around the city, but the vast majority of citizens probably don’t know where more than a handful of them are.
A guide to Suffolk’s walking trails has been published by Healthy People Healthy Suffolk. It is available at a variety of local venues, including recreation centers, libraries and parks, and includes information on 16 local trails totaling more than 27 miles in length.
That’s the theory behind a new brochure developed by Healthy People Healthy Suffolk. It highlights 16 trails in the city, ranging in length from one-fifth of one mile to nine miles and in a variety of environments.
“We want people to know all the ways they can participate in an active lifestyle,” said Deborah Nadell, walking program coordinator. “It’s part of our initiative to help encourage people to get up and move.”
The brochure highlights trails at local parks, cemeteries, community centers and other public buildings, as well as the Suffolk Seaboard Coastline Trail.
“We have a lot of wonderful trails in Suffolk,” Nadell said.
The brochure also gives safety tips, such as bringing water, walking with a friend and letting someone else know where you’re going.
Nadell said it’s likely some people don’t know about trails that are close to their own homes.
“I have a feeling they might know about a few, but not all of them,” she said.
Nadell said walking is beneficial for a variety of health reasons, both physical and mental. It helps prevent Type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer. It burns off bad cholesterol, strengthens the heart, increases blood flow and helps stave off or ease back problems. The peaceful environment can also help calm emotions.
“As soon as you sit down, your metabolism slows up to 90 percent within half an hour,” Nadell said.
Walking is the most accessible exercise because no special training, equipment or gym membership is required, Nadell said.
“This helps give people resources and tools” to walk, she said.
The brochure is available at recreation centers, libraries, parks, the Suffolk Art Gallery, the Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum, City Hall, the Suffolk Visitor Center, the Health and Human Services building and the Hilton Garden Inn.
Digital versions also are available on the websites of Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community and Suffolk Parks and Recreation.
Nadell said the brochure was created with the help of Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community, the Obici Healthcare Foundation and Suffolk Parks and Recreation.
