Trail Mix II- A Walking Guide of Manchester’s Neighborhoods

to be released on National Trails Day

Manchester, CT, June 2, 2007– On Saturday, June 2, 2007, the Town of Manchester’s Health and Recreation Departments will be releasing Trail Mix II, a walking guide with route maps of thirteen neighborhoods.  This is the second guide developed to help people of all ages stay active.  Trail Mix – A Guide to Manchester’s Trails and Pathways was created in 2006 and featured 18 multi-use hiking trails.

To promote use of the Trail Mix II guide during Connecticut Trails Day 2007, guided walks will be held at each of the neighborhood sites highlighted in this resource as well as at nine hiking trails in Manchester. Most of the map routes in Trail Mix II use the elementary schools as start and end points and are between ¾ and 1 ½ miles long.  The walking guide also has practical and motivational information on staying active – a key to good health.  

The Health and Recreation Departments, in collaboration with the Board of Education, the Public Works Department (GIS Division) and the Police Department, with funding from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, have developed Trail Mix II to promote walking as a way to burn calories, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and increase bone strength. Obesity, especially in children, is a growing epidemic. Walking on a regular basis can help keep weight off and reduce risks for heart and other obesity-related diseases.  In the past, children walked to school and played outside in the neighborhood. Today, busy lifestyles make scheduling physical activities more difficult.  Children often remain inside their homes, using computers and watching TV. The Trail Mix II guide allows children and their families to “go back in time” by walking through their neighborhoods.