In a collaborative partnership, Bike Walk Montana and the Recreational Trails Program of Montana State Parks have launched a new program called Montana Trails Rx. Through this program we partner with local clinics and parks departments to provide the resources for medical providers to issue prescriptions to clients for walking while utilizing local trails.
Sixty one percent of Montanans are overweight or obese. Obesity can lead to chronic conditions such as pulmonary disease, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. These four chronic conditions contribute to the death of approximately 57% of the population. Nationally, obesity costs our health care system $169 Billion per year. Reversing these trends calls for effective measures to encourage the integration of physical activity into people’s daily lives. Walking is recognized as a simple, effective and successful method to achieve the daily physical activity requirements. Engaging residents in increased physical activity utilizing local trails will become a life-long activity … and it is FREE!
This will be achieved through a prescription program to assist healthcare providers in engaging patients and increasing their levels of physical activity through walking, running, biking, or any other recreational physical activity.
Clients diagnosed with or at risk of chronic diseases will be given a brochure about the program, a map card for each designated local trail, and a prescription indicating how far and how often the client needs to walk. Our goal for the Montana Trails Rx program is to increase physical activity, thereby reducing obesity and associated chronic diseases, ultimately resulting in lower health care costs.
As a collaborative project, Trails Rx will:
- become a model walk prescription program that can be used throughout Montana;
- help patients recognize walking as an important and free component to improve health; and
- increase walking opportunities for Montanans.
Learn more about the program goals and benefits of Montana Trails Rx Program (PDF).