Mayor Harry Rilling and his wife Lucia want to help Norwalk get fit. They are very pleased to introduce the Mayor’s Fitness challenge to Norwalk citizens and city staff by issuing an invitation to join them on a weekly walk, weather permitting, every Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Mayor Rilling explained, “According to the American Heart Association, the benefits of walking include reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, improving blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and blood lipid profiles, and helping to maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity. Lucia is enthusiastic about coordinating this initiative. We hope you will join us; of course, everyone should check with his or her doctor before starting any fitness program.” The Mayor and his wife were inspired to do this by hearing about the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Fitness Challenge which was held in summer 2013. Lucia Rilling stated, “Norwalk has natural beauty and many scenic walking routes which were established and mapped out some time ago by the Norwalk Health Department’s Norwalker Program. We want to promote use of these walking routes as well as the basic concept of walking for fitness. This is only the beginning of the Health and Fitness activities I will be coordinating with the Norwalk Health Department and others in the community. Smoking cessation assistance, blood pressure screenings, and a variety of informational sessions will also be planned for the public.

“Walk with Us” – Mayor Rilling and his wife Lucia invite you to join them every Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. for a walk. 

The next walk will be this Saturday, March 11, 2017. The Norwalker group will be following the City Hall area map Loop #3, for 3 miles starting from the City Hall Parking Lot on East Avenue. Please meet by 8:30 a.m.  Come join the group.  The public is always invited.

To discover the location of future Saturday walks and find out about other health and fitness activities, go to the Norwalk website, www.norwalkct.org , and look for “Mayor's Health and Fitness Challenge.” Note that news of upcoming walk locations will be posted there each Monday afternoon for the following Saturday.