Highlights from Healthier Jupiter's First Walk and Bike on Jupiter Challenge!
In support of FDOT’s Mobility Week, community partners and Healthier Jupiter held a walking, biking and rolling challenge to get community members out and about to discover Jupiter. Participants got extra steps in before exercising or visiting a park, checked out cool spots in their neighborhood, and went to every day destinations like the store or post office.
The rules were simple use active modes of transportation to visit as many destinations from October 30th to November 8th. Participants can walk, bike, skate, scooter or roll their wheelchair. Visit more places, take more photos and win more prizes! Whether someone was new to walking or biking, an experienced walker or biker or quarantining at home there were a lot of ways to participate. Download our Walk and Bike on Jupiter Challenge Guides anytime - CLICK HERE!
To start, we asked some of our participants why they were interested in participating. Some shared they were excited to be outside more, get to know Jupiter better, explore new places in town, participating with family, and to feel healthier. Other participants shared:
“I’d love to find SAFE places to ride my bike with my kids. Our bike lanes are not safe enough to ride with children but we love to ride places”
“As a health care professional, mother, grandmother and nature lover - Jupiter is filled with opportunities to actively promote health for all ages! Given the pandemic, outdoor activity is a wonderful way to reduce stress, get some exercise and enjoy the natural beauty of Jupiter”
“I have been visiting the Jupiter area for over 5 decades; now I live here! Healthier Jupiter’s Walk and Bike on Jupiter Challenge is a wonderful way for the Jupiter community to get physically active, promote health, enjoy life and stay safe while doing so”
“I hope to use this opportunity to explore my community, get fit, get fresh air, and just have some fun during quarantine. This is a chance to shake up my mundane routine!”
“Anything that can keep me motivated during these unprecedented times.”
“Seeing engagement from others in these activities around town!”
“I’m excited for the challenge in using my bike everyday and walking to more places”
For our first year, we had 27 people register and 9 people checked in 3 or more times. Check out some fun photos people submitted as they were walking and biking to places like Jupiter Farms Park, the beach, the library, etc.
Being active this week was really good, I did like planning where to go the next day. And make me realize that I need a bike" This participant walked to several parks and parked a few parking lots down to walk to the store! She loved the challenge!
A mother and son participated said that it really encouraged them to get out their Get Fit Map, see where they could go and go ahead and walk to these places. It really encouraged them to walk more this week! They stopped at a few natural areas and parks on Pennock Lane, Toney Penna and Military Trail. They walked over 9 miles the week of the challenge. Their favorite spots were the Aquatic Center and The Police Department
Another participant said that she went for a walk instead of waiting in the car while her daughter was finishing a voice lesson. They did the same thing as family when waiting for the pet to leave the vet.
We are hoping to work with community next to do walk audits. Walk audits will allow us document what about our streets make us want to, or not, walk on our streets. People can learn more by emailing Healthier Jupiter’s Project Director, Joanna Peluso at joanna.peluso@jupitermed.com.
Thank you to all of our amazing partners in this work: Town of Jupiter, Jack the Bike Man, Jupiter Medical Center, FAU Center for Urban and Environmental Studies, El Sol, Jupiter’s Neighborhood Resource Center, Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency, Limestone Creek Advocates, American Heart Association, and Tri Bike Run.
You can check out other Healthier Jupiter Walking and Biking Blog Posts….
Walking + Biking Outside? Here are safety tips.
Healthier Jupiter, in partnership with Jupiter Medical Center is dedicated to bringing the greater Jupiter community together to encourage each person to live their healthiest life. Healthier Jupiter is part of the Palm Health Foundation’s Healthier Together Initiative, a long-term, community-driven approach to solving a community’s complex healthcare issues.