SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Regional West’s Wellness Team is encouraging community members to take time out to walk on their lunch break during National Walk at Lunch Day, Wednesday, April 24. Regional West employees will join people from across the nation by walking together to encourage wellness. 

As part of Nebraska’s statewide Walkable Communities initiative called “Step and Repeat,” Regional West partnered with the Panhandle Public Health District and Panhandle Worksite Wellness Coalition to map and calculate distances for the walking routes to encourage employees, visitors, and the community to walk regularly on Regional West campuses.

The Walkable Campus includes routes at Regional West’s main campus, St. Mary campus, and The Village at Regional West. The routes are marked by “Step and Repeat” signs at the starting point of each trail. Walking paths can be viewed at rwhs.org under the Visitors tab.

“Our intent is to encourage wellness for the employees of Regional West as well as the entire community. Today, that encouragement comes in the form of a 15-minute walk with your co-workers,” said Martha Stricker, executive director for regional services. “As a society, we are spending more time than ever sitting in front of a screen and becoming less and less active.  Both factors increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and many other diseases.  A 15 to 30 minute walk gets you away from the work day, allows you to clearly think and take in fresh air.  It doesn’t take much but two feet and tennis shoes.”

Walking is the single most powerful thing a person can do for good health. It’s also a great way to spend time with the people you care about – to connect, share what’s going on in your life, and create memories.

The journey to a happier and healthier “good life” begins with one step. Getting started is simple. Just Step and Repeat.

Regional West encourages all employees and area residents to make walking part of their daily exercise program and to use the Step and Repeat routes at all three campuses.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers, and 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.