WALKING IN THE RAILYARD PARK
The Prescription Trails program is designed to increase walking and wheelchair rolling on suggested routes in Santa Fe and promotes healthy lifestyles for individuals, families and pets too. Healthcare providers write prescriptions for walking for their patients based on their current physical condition and to treat and prevent a number of chronic conditions such as diabetes, depression and high blood pressure. Prescription Trails have been specially chosen to be relatively flat, free of obstacles, safe, and convenient.
The Railyard Park provides the opportunity to experience nature and be physically active at the same time. The Park’s walking trail loop is just over a half mile in length, and takes you through a variety of park gardens, including the native Rock Arroyo, the formal Railway Gardens, the beautiful flowers along the Cottonwood Bosque, and the Acequia Bike Trail with it’s panoramic views of the mountains. A map of the Railyard Park Prescription Trail is available here.
Visit the Prescription Trails website at prescriptiontrailsnm.org to view an online walking guide, walking tips and a walking log to track information on the dates, distances and times you walk!
Health Benefits of Walking
Walking is a great way to get exercise. Studies show that walking has many health benefits including:
- Lower risk of: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure
- Help with weight loss
- Improved sleep and better moods
Most adults need at least 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise, like brisk walking, each week – that’s only 30 minutes 5 days a week! If you are short on time, you can still get health benefits by breaking up exercise sessions into shorter, more frequent intervals of at least 10 minutes in length. If you are new to exercise, start slowly and gradually increase your minutes.