Getting exercise doesn’t always have to mean long workouts and sore muscles. Taking a walk around the town square can be enough to improve one’s health. That’s the message Thrive program director Damaris Kunkler is trying to get out.
At noon on April 1, she and 30 community members will walk around the square a few times to promote its walkability. The event will be called the Downtown Walkaround.
“Walkability is basically the measure of how friendly an area is to walking,” Kunkler said. “It’s about changing your mode of transportation. Getting out of your cars and using your legs.”
Iola is extremely friendly to walking. Walking twice on the outside of the square is approximately a mile. The same goes for walking three times on the inside of the square.
On walkscore.com, a website that rates a town’s walkability, Iola’s downtown square receives a score of 82. The website gives a score based on a provided address and takes into account the local amenities in that area.
Kunkler said most of Iolan’s needs can be met downtown. Getting your hair done, eating, mailing a letter and paying utility bills are some of the errands that can be done on the square.
Another appealing aspect of downtown Iola is its safety. It is well lit, has wide sidewalks, curb cuts for strollers or wheelchairs and the police department and sheriff’s office are extremely close.
Kunkler said those are all elements that make Iola’s downtown the perfect place to walk.
“We are so lucky to have a square that looks like ours does,” Kunkler said.
For more information contact Thrive Allen County at 365-8128 or like its Facebook page to stay up to date on the Downtown Walkaround and other Thrive events.
Iola has plenty to walk about
