Six malls across the country - Villaggio, Ezdan Mall, Hyatt Plaza, Dar Al Salam Mall, Landmark and Al Khor Mall - are venues for this year’s edition of Aspetar’s “Walk More…Walk the Mall” campagin.
They have made special indoor walking routes to enable residents to exercise throughout the summer.
“Walk More…Walk the Mall” is the perfect solution to stay fit in the country during the hot summer. Part of Aspetar’s wider programme, “Step into Health”, the campaign encourages men, women and children of all ages to exercise within the air-conditioned comfort of Qatar’s shopping malls.
Flyers containing walking information as well as specific maps are available in the designated malls for people to use. In addition, all maps can be found online at www.stepintohealth.qa
Hyatt Plaza kicked off the 2014 edition of the “Walk More…Walk the Mall” programme on June 7, while Dar Al Salam opened its doors to the public on June 14.
The launch event at Ezdan Mall will take place tomorrow, from 8am to 10am. The shopping centre will feature two walking routes on separate floors. Each circuit will challenge walkers to take 1,600 steps, which will be equal to burning 90 calories.
The Hyatt Plaza launch saw 320 residents participate. The course challenged participants to walk continuously for more than 20 minutes, resulting in approximately 2,300 steps. More than 380 participants took part in the Dar Al Salam Mall launch event. The circuit equals approximately 1,000 steps, burning
60 calories.
Additionally, in both malls, residents received a complimentary gift while 100 free pedometers were handed out to specially selected walkers. The events received overwhelming feedback, demonstrating that mall walking is a great form of physical activity to tackle the summer heat and encourage people to maintain healthy lifestyles.
Abdulla Saeed al-Mohannadi, a health promotion researcher at Aspetar, said “Step into Health” was launched in December 2012 and its overarching goal is to inspire the public to start walking. Created last year, “Walk More… Walk the Mall” aims to spread the culture of walking in malls and encourages shopping centres to adopt the concept and help provide a safe environment for physical activity in the summer.
