FILE PHOTO/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Fall Just Walk Berlin participants bundle up as they stroll through Stephen Decatur Park on Tripoli Street off of Route 113. Registration for the eighth annual walk will start at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2.

By Rachel Ravina, Staff Writer

(Oct. 24, 2019) Exercise enthusiasts and novices can get up and moving next Saturday at the “Fall Just Walk Berlin” at Stephen Decatur Park in Berlin.

Registration for the eighth annual walk is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. The walk itself will take place from 9-10:30 a.m. starting at the park on Tripoli Street off Route 113.

Participants can choose from one, two or three-mile courses during the walk, with no charge to participate.

Walkers can enter a free raffle and are eligible to win a Fitbit, according to event organizers.

Mimi Dean, director of prevention services for the Worcester County Health Department, said 31 people attended last year’s walk.

Dean said the event aims to inspire area residents to explore the park while getting exercise.

“It encourages and promotes physical activity in our beautiful, local parks and connects community residents with one another and nature,” Dean said.

Mike Wiley, a member of the Berlin Parks Commission, said he’s “glad to see a variety of people show up.”

He added that about half of the people participating come back each year.

Dean also said representatives from the county’s health department and Atlantic General Hospital will be promoting health and wellness during the event.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the benefits of walking include maintaining a healthy weight, improving mood, balance and coordination.

It also helps to strengthen bones and muscles, as well as prevent or manage heart disease, Type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.

Dean said that the Worcester County Health Department also sponsors a do-it-yourself Just Walk program, in which participants self-report their activity.

For more information about the program, visit justwalkworcester.org.