Local & State Headlines

Phoebe named 'fit-friendly'

Staff Reports

ALBANY — Already a partner in its Start! walking campaign, the American Heart Association on Tuesday named Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital as Albany’s first fit-friendly organization.

The national association, which has a regional chapter, also designated Phoebe as Southwest Georgia’s first fit-friendly hospital.

Phoebe introduced the Start! campaign to its 3,700 employees last month. The goal of the three-month program is that every individual ultimately walk 900,000 steps.

“This is at the root of what Phoebe is about” said CEO Joel Wernick stated in a news release. “The journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step.”

The American Heart Association launches National Start! Walking Day today as a way to promote health in the work place. The kick-off is at 2:41 p.m. — a play on the “two-for-one” health benefits of walking, a news release states.

“For every one hour of activity, you increase your life expectancy by two hours,” the release states.

The organizations encourage others to get on board with promoting a healthy lifestyle.

For questions about Start!, contact the American Heart Association at (229) 883-5858.

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