Start Walking for a Healthier Lifestyle!

Wear sneakers to work and take a stand against heart disease by participating in National Start Walking Day.

Walk for health. Walk for life.

Walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity and has multiple health benefits:

Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels
Improve blood lipid profile
Maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity
Enhance mental well-being
Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
Reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer
Reduce the risk on non-insulin dependant (Type 2) diabetes

Did you walk 10,000 steps today?

Barbara Thompson of Martinsville did!

Just What the Doctor Ordered

Like most of the 70 million Americans who have arthritis, you’ve probably tried all kinds of things to relieve your pain. Research shows that becoming more physically active can help. For many years, everyone thought that people with arthritis should rest to spare their joints. In fact, Just the opposite is true.

Low-impact activities such as walking are crucial for people with arthritis. It increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. Of course, when stiff and painful joints are already bogging you down, the thought of walking a mile might make you cringe. Activate can help with that by providing the tools, encouragement and support you need.

One participant of our Low Impact Walking Program has severe joint pain. She didn’t start off running a marathon. She started slowly and gradually with 10 minutes at a time. We encouraged her to let her body be her guide. It was hard for her to carry on a conversation from lack of breath. Now she walks up to 30 to 45 minutes per day, 3 or more days a week and talks to everyone as she passes them on the track at the Low Impact Walk!

If you are experiencing the pain and stiffness of arthritis, there’s something you can do about it that will not cost you a dime. Walk more. There are many beautiful trails throughout our community with walking groups that individuals can join. If you are not familiar with all of the vast opportunities to get you up, out and active, go to http://www.GetActiveMHC.org/ and download the FREE 30 page Activity Toolkit or call Activate at 276-638-2523 Ext 204. Not only will you get a valuable guide to better health, you will also receive a free pedometer and water bottle.
Be sure to check out Activate’s FREE Low Impact Beginner’s Walk brought to you through the partnership of Activate and the YMCA. Participants can go the Martinsville YMCA from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and use the elevated walking track. Contact Activate at 276-638-2523 Ext 204 for more information. As with any exercise regimen, we recommend that you talk to your physician before starting this program.

Students Get Bike Smart

Students anxiously wait for the bicycling program being offered this spring at Martinsville Middle and Laurel Park Middle School. "We've been looking out the window at where the bikes are and can't wait to ride them" indicated one middle school student.

Working with our corporate partner, Cardinal Bicycle on Orange Avenue in Roanoke, Activate was able to bring thirty-five bikes to be used in physical education classes in both middle schools.

Thanks to the PE teachers that have embraced the Bike Smart Basics, a SOL certified program, it has now been added as a program within their classes. Hopefully this new program will excite kids who normally do not take PE as an elective class.

Working in the rain to load and unload all of the bikes, City Shop employees and Activate staff enjoyed every minute of it. There is just something magical about bicycles. Maybe it is that childhood memory of that first bike, learning how to first ride the bike or maybe it is just that connection to how simple life used to be.

Special thanks to City Employees: Steve, Chris and Clyde for loading and unloading the bikes and to Lane and Leon for providing the assistance!

Seeing those smiling faces of the students and being greeted by them as we pulled in the trucks hauling the bikes and being able to be part of that excitement brought sunshine to a very rainy day!

New Paddling Classifieds

Spring has sprung and it's time to get back out on the river. If you are looking for a good used boat or you want to sell/trade to upgrade your existing boat check out this new website: www.SellMyCanoe.com.

See you on the river!

Spring Arrives at Gravely Nature Preserve

In late 2008, area Girl Scouts, the Martinsville-Henry County Master Gardeners, and the staff of Prillaman Landscape Dimensions assisted DRBA in the planting of trees alongside the parking lot at the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve. This project was made possible by generous donations from Anne Carter Lee Gravely and C.D. Prillaman.

The trees are doing well and growing. The Yoshimo Cherry trees are sporting bright green leaves, and the Redbuds are starting to bloom with their trademark purple flowers. These trees are going to benefit the preserve by adding creating oxygen to breathe, making shade in the parking lot, and reducing noise from the road.

Cool Fact: Did you know that the flowers of Redbuds look like tiny hummingbirds? If you you haven't noticed that before- check it out!

Photo by Jennifer Doss

Volunteers Enhance Area Trails

Thanks to a group of DRBA volunteers, our local trails just got a little better! On Tuesday of this week, the troupes rallied together to install three benches along the new Phase II extension of the Fieldale Trail. Each bench had to be moved down the trail individually so garden carts and teamwork were the key to this project.

Now that the task is complete, walkers have several places to rest and enjoy the scenic Smith River while out on the trail. Special thanks to the Magna Vista High School FFA Club, and their instructors: Mr. Holland, Ms. Stout, and Ms. Metz for assembling the benches.


On Wednesday the volunteers gathered at the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve in Ridgeway to spruce up Jones Cliff Trail. They removed rocks, stumps, and roots from the trail surface that had the potential to become tripping hazards. Now the trail is in much better condition and ready for joggers and walkers to enjoy it.

Special thanks to Brian Williams, Chad Hall, Paul May, Linda Drage, and Wayne Kirkpatrick for helping out with these two projects!

If you'd like to volunteer on a trail workday or participate in the Adopt-a-Trail program, please contact Jennifer Doss- Rivers & Trails Project Manager at 276-634-2545 or jdoss@danriver.org.

Photos by: Jennifer Doss & Brian Williams

Article by: Jennifer Doss

Martinsville Showcased as Active Living Community

On Saturday, April 4th, 30 people arrived on a bus from three West Virginia communities to find out first-hand what the buzz was all about in Martinsville. Patty Deutsch, Policy Director for the Wellness Council of West Virginia said she contacted Active Living by Design months prior to ask for assistance in locating a community similar to theirs that was raising the bar for creating a healthy, active community. They suggested Martinsville, Virginia, a five hour drive away.

Jeannie Frisco, Program Director for Activate said she was a little dazed but very honored to receive the call from Deutsch that she and others wanted to visit the area to find out more about the active living initiative. “It made me aware that while we are facing an economic crisis, there are other communities that are not nearly as far ahead as we are."

During Frisco’s presentation, she highlighted how unique the concept of active living is and that everything is tied together. “Our initiative encompasses economics, tourism, health, quality of life and builds assets such as trails and river accesses for our citizens." Frisco acknowledged the panelists, Felecia Rupert, Tourism Assistant, Jennifer Doss with DRBA, Barbara Jackman with Coalition for Health and Wellness, Melissa Gravely with Activate, City Manager Clarence Monday and Mayor Kathy Lawson and said “there is not one leader in our efforts but many. By working together, Martinsville will become a vibrant community once again.”

The group consisting of mayors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, media, teachers and advocates toured the Uptown area during their day-long forum, stopping in at the Farmers Market, Studio 107 and Hooker Furniture.

During the conclusion of a long but fun-filled day, Ms. Deutsch indicated that they “enjoyed learning about the innovative approaches designed to encourage community activity. The comprehensive, well planned program shared with us today by the Martinsville collaborative will support our efforts to move our WV Collaborative, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, project ahead.”

Kathy Hill, Chair of RevUp-Madison shared her closing remarks with the local organizations and Mayor Lawson. “Visiting Martinsville was a rejuvenating experience. To see a town that had already incorporated many of the same ideas that our group have discussed. It was very encouraging to see that changes can occur even with our current economy.”

Mayor Lawson, who welcomed the West Virginia Wellness Council and gave opening remarks during the event, thanked Activate for the work in preparing the forum and inviting the panelists. “Activate and its community partners’ success was evident today. By mentoring to the West Virginia Wellness Council, our community leaders should recognize all that Activate has accomplished in its short time in existence. My hat is off to their success and for sharing that success with our sister state,” said Lawson

The Wellness Council of West Virginia is a nonprofit organization which works exclusively with businesses, corporations, non profits and other employers to develop results-oriented wellness initiatives.

Article and photos by: Jeannie Frisco

Edited and posted by: Vicky Thomas