OXFORD, Miss. – University of Mississippi students and Oxford residents are encouraged to celebrate May by taking a morning walk with Chancellor Robert Khayat beginning at 8 a.m. Monday (May 4) on the front steps of the Lyceum. The 1.5-mile walk will end back at the Lyceum.
The School of Applied Sciences and HealthWorks are sponsoring “Walk with the Chancellor” to raise awareness of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. May was proclaimed for this emphasis by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to encourage physical activity.
Allison Ford-Wade, associate professor of health promotion, hopes the event will encourage participants to exercise while they enjoy campus scenery.
“We finally have great weather, and we want to encourage people to get out and walk,” Ford-Wade said. “We have one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, and we hope more people will begin to view its beauty while walking.”
Kathleen Smith, senior exercise science major and HealthWorks intern, hopes individuals will recognize the important health benefits of exercise.
“We want people to realize that just 30 minutes of walking can make a huge impact on physical health.” Smith said. “Small steps in exercise fitness can increase cardiovascular health and decrease diseases associated with physical inactivity and obesity.”
UM faculty members, staff and students, as well as individuals from the Lafayette-Oxford-University community are encouraged to participate in the walk.
For more information, call 662-915-5521.