Prairie Hills hikers circle the globe


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SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 07, 2009
CONTACT: Kristin Biskeborn, (605) 734-4551
 
Prairie Hills hikers circle the globe
PIERRE, S.D. – Nearly 340 individuals and 60 teams logged more than 84 million steps, or twice around the earth, during the recent Prairie Hills Hike Challenge. The latest online competition from Healthy South Dakota ran for the month of June.
“Step challenges are a fun way to get people out and moving,” said Kristin Biskeborn (BIS’-kah-born), State Nutritionist for the Department of Health. “Measuring those steps along a virtual trail through South Dakota’s beautiful Coteau des Prairie region made the challenge even more enjoyable.”
Participants signed on to www.HealthySD.gov to log their daily steps along a 106-mile virtual trail through South Dakota’s Coteau des Prairie region. While there is no actual “hills of the prairie” trail, Healthy South Dakota worked with the Department of Game, Fish and Parks to create a virtual one through the region. The trail ran through Sica Hollow, Roy Lake, Fort Sisseton, Pickerel Lake and other historic and recreation sites in northeastern South Dakota.
Recommendations call for able adults to get at least 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity five days a week or 20 minutes a day of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity three days a week. According to a 2007 department survey, fewer than half (47.8%) of South Dakotans 18 and over met the recommendation for moderate physical activity while only 25.4% met the recommendation for vigorous activity. And 22.4% reported no leisure time physical activity at all.
Randomly selected participants received the following prizes:
  • $125 travel cash from Glacial Lakes & Prairies Association - Megan Kohn, Yankton
  • Evening Surprise print from Redlin Art Center- Jantina Nelson-Stastny, Yankton
  • Fort Sisseton State Park print - Kathy Gab, Eureka; Janet Lingle, Elk Point; Sandra Linn, Brookings; and Joann Pomplum, Aberdeen
  • 2009 South Dakota State Park Pass –Julie Adams, Spearfish; Marcia Benning, Hill City; Rachel Bonine, Beresford; Jennifer Bristow-Hamilton, Rapid City; Diane Daby, Sioux Falls, Deanna Gall, Tripp; Stephanie Goldhorn, Brookings; Teresa Kaiser, Black Hawk; Kate Karli, Garretson; and Lisa Weber, Summerset.
The Healthy South Dakota website and its regular challenges are part of the department’s Health 2010 objective to help South Dakotans be physically active, eat healthy and live healthier lives.