Putnam Health Department Begins Fall Into Fitness Program Wednesday

The Putnam County Health Department is sponsering the Fall Into Fitness effort at Cane Creek Park.

Each week the health department is bringing public servants around Cookville to walk around the park to prompt physical fitness. The event begins at 11 a.m. in the parking lot across from the Cane Creek Sportsplex. Putnam Public Health Educator Hannah Cross said that the event for many come just in time to for the holidays.

“I would say around fall time that’s when all the holiday’s start coming up. So you hae Halloweens, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and that’s where it can be really easy to kind of become a couch potato,” Cross said. “You’ve got all those holiday great foods coming up and so it’s easy to fall out of your fitness routine that you may have started in the summer.”

Putnam Public Health Educator Rooks said each walk will be held on Wednsday in an effort to promote adult physical activity in Putnam. Rooks said each week they are bringing local leaders to come walk, this week being Cookeville Regional Chief Executive Officer Buffy Key.

“It’s beautiful and it’s fitness, it’s healthcare, it’s outside, ” Key said. “It’s just getting to be with each other and enjoy the beautiful weather and get a little physical exercise at the same time.”

Putnam Public Health Educator Elizabeth Rooks said that the program will be spanning over eight weeks through October and November.

“Any of our residents that struggle with hypertension, diabeties, obesity, any cronic conditions like that,” Rooks said. “This is a great way to start and just get out into the community, figure out where you like to walk and really reconnect with the parks that we have here in our city.”

Rooks said the Health Department promoted the event heavily with doctors offices, primary care specialists and physicians. Cross said they also both targeted young and older adults in their outreach, handing out flyers to different campuses and community centers.