Environment affects exercise

Pleasant surroundings and convenience to sites for walking, running, and biking are positive influences on senior exercise.

“Public-health strategies to promote physical activities are now strongly emphasizing the role of environmental influences to create opportunities to remove barriers to people being more active,” according to a report published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Among the factors that matter most to people considering outdoor activity are accessibility, opportunities for exercise, and pleasing surroundings. Ma- jor ingredients mixed into the decision associated with exercising regularly are convenience and easy access to bikeways, footpaths, health clubs, and swimming pools. Safety also plays a role in the exercise equation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered Americans who perceive their neighborhood as unsafe are more likely to be inactive.

When urban women were compared with their rural counterparts, they were more likely to report lack of street lights, high crime rates, and lack of a safe place to exercise as barriers to physical activity.

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“We package food at least twice a week. I have my Sunday school group come and volunteer. I also have scout groups who volunteer. A group of kids from West Noble come every Tuesday morning throughout the school year. Many of the kids in the scout groups will volunteer after school.

“There is an Open Door through a church in South Bend, which has a drive-thru where people can pick up food. I’ve seen some of the pictures of people picking up their food. We’ve had trailers full of food we provided to disaster areas. We want to reach out to others in their time of need.

“We provide food to around 130 food pantries in Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan. Each pantry can pick up food once per week. Monday and Friday are food pantry pick up days,” she said.

Haab briefly spoke about how her faith has led her to volunteer with the food bank. “God leads me to help others. This is the way I can help and touch people. I really feel like God has led me here to volunteer,” she said.

Haab wanted to emphasize that the food bank is always in need of more volunteers. The food bank is of vital importance to many food pantries through- out the region. There are volunteers of all ages. Volunteering with the food bank has been a very rewarding experience, a way for people to give back to the community and have a larger impact on the region. There is also that fulfillment that comes from providing people with food and helping them take care of their families. Many of the volunteers have also expressed a sense of comradery. Valuable friendships are often established this way.

If someone would like to learn more about volunteering with the food bank, please call or text Carol Haab at (574) 5184604.