Government Center employees and other municipal employees gather at the start of their lunch hours for noontime walks as part of a Blue Cross/Blue Shield program that began on May 20,2013. WalkingWorks is a six-week walking program with online tracking that helps city employees set goals and view their progress. A regular routine of brisk-paced walking daily can help anyone lose weight, lower cholesterol, strengthen the heart, and reduce the likelihood of serious health problems down the road. With America spending more than ever on preventable health problems like heart disease, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, and conditions associated with obesity such as arthritis, every step counts. The President's Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition recommends walking thirty minutes a day, on five or more days a week, or 10,000 steps daily, to produce the best, long-term health benefits for most individuals. That is why Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans have launched Walking Works. Click here for photos of a recent employee health benefits fair. For more information about the project, contact Diane Perry at 508-324-2667.

(Top row, left and center) Lianne Verville and Mui Pong display their pedometers proided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. (Top row, right) Debby Cabral, right, of the Human Resources Department applauds the group for signing up for the WalkingWorks program. (Row two, left) Twenty Government Center employees who are participating in the program gather on the steps of Government Center. (Row two, right) Kimberly Silva and Annemarie Mediros head out from the Fall River Public Lilbrary for a noontime walk. (Row three) Kimberly, Annemare, Lianne, Mui, and Laurel Clark walk in downtown Fall River. (Bottom row,right) Community Development employee Brian Pearson returns to his desk to log in his hours on the WalkingWorks web site.