Get WalkIN'

How are you doing with your goal? Are you keeping a log sheet? Are you adding steps each day or each week? Are your walks getting longer and / or more frequent? Are you walking at a faster pace? Are you finding walking easier to do?

Use the links below to help keep you motivated!

How to keep your routine during winter https://www.mypacer.com/blog/winter-morning-walk-tips

Being creative about your physical activity plans and trying new forms of exercise can keep you motivated by preventing boredom. A change in seasons is an excellent time to be creative about your exercise routine and try something new. There are many ways to be active throughout the year.

Winter

When your grandchildren visit, head outside to build a snowman together or go ice skating.
Cold outdoor temperatures are an excellent reason to join a mall-walking group.
Start the new year by trying out a fitness center — many offer New Year’s Resolution specials.
Give your heart a Valentine’s Day gift with dance lessons, such as salsa, tango, or belly dancing.

Spring

As the temperatures start to get warm, get your garden ready for spring and summer. The lifting and bending you do when gardening are great for strength and flexibility.
A bike ride is a great way to enjoy the warmer temperatures.
Anything can be fun with upbeat music, including spring cleaning!
Build your endurance and strength with a bike ride during National Bike Month (May). Remember your helmet.

Summer

Swim laps or take a water aerobics class. These are both refreshing once the weather gets steamy.
Walking in the mall is a cool way to beat the heat.
Now that the grandchildren are out of school for the summer, ask them to teach you their favorite sport or physical activity.
Celebrate National Bowling Week the first week in August. Get friends and family together and challenge each other to a friendly tournament.

Fall

If you’ve heard about the benefits of yoga but haven’t tried it yet, National Yoga Awareness Month in September is a great time to find special events and trial classes for beginners.
As the weather begins to cool, join an indoor sports league, such as basketball, handball, or bowling.
Fall provides great opportunities for physical activity. You can take long walks to see the beautiful fall colors. Once the leaves have fallen, raking is good exercise.
If you have holiday shopping to do, walk the entire mall each time you’re there.

Activity: We would love to hear your success stories! Share them with me, Karen Richey, your local Purdue Extension Educator in Marshall County, at: krichey@purdue.edu If you are having trouble with your walking routine, we would like to know that, too. For feedback, send an email to walk@purdue.edu

Next Topic: Goal Check-in

Always walk facing oncoming traffic.
Use the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, look for a smooth, stable surface alongside the road. If there are guardrails, see if there is a smooth, flat surface behind the barrier where you can walk. If you need to walk on a paved shoulder, stay as far away from traffic as possible.
Be careful on bridges and narrow shoulders of the road.
Be sure drivers can see you. Wear brightly colored clothing, and if you walk during low-light hours, such as dawn or dusk, be sure you have reflective material on your clothing or walking shoes, and carry a flashlight.

https://www.visitmarshallcounty.in/recreation

Visit the new website with details on recreation in Marshall County are much more!

Saturday, June 6, 2026
Kiwanis - Plymouth, Indiana is hosting their annual Kids Triathalon in Centennial Park! Here is the link with more information on the event and how to register your kiddos:
https://app.givegrove.com/kids2026

Color Run

Save the Date!

To find more information and register visit:

https://runsignup.com/Race/IN/Culver/CulverCommunitySchoolsBoosterClubColorRun

Choose between a fun 1 mile walk/run or a 5k. The 1 mile route will run around the Culver Schools Corporation and the 5k route will run through downtown Culver. The race will start at the front of Culver Community High School, Door 32. Both routes will finish on the Culver Middle/High School football field. This will be a fun run with several color stations manned by our athletes ready to toss color powder on you as you pass by! Registration includes a white race t-shirt and neon sunglasses to wear to show off your colors! Join us for the after party on the football field!

Potawatomi Wildlife Park

Save the Date!

https://livewellkosciusko.org/physical-1

Mission: Live Well Kosciusko is a local nonprofit on a mission to transform lives and grow a thriving and healthy community.

This organization promotes physical well-being, financial well-being, social well-being, career & purpose well-being, and community well-being.

"As part of our dedication to fostering a vibrant and healthy community, Live Well Kosciusko partnered with local organizations to bring the Gallup Well-Being Index survey to the county in 2020. This survey offered valuable insights into the state of well-being across for Kosciusko County residents."

Download the digital guides to water and greenspaces, including trails you can walk in Kosc. Co! Check these out as you get started. https://visitkosciuskocounty.org/digital-guides/

There are plenty of activities for kids and families each day of the Fat & Skinny Tire Fest, presented by @K21 Health Foundation!

The Fat & Skinny Tire Festival also includes road bike events, kids events, casual tours and rides, entertainment, and much more. Involvement from the community is second to none in Warsaw and Winona Lake, and there are plenty of non-cycling activities for families and friends to see and do.

Check out the schedule each day and for more information visit fatandskinnytirefest.com.

Join us May 15-17th in Warsaw and Winona Lake, Indiana.

Kosciusko County Freedom Fest will celebrate America's 250th birthday in Warsaw on June 5,6,7 2026 at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds at 1400 East Smith Street, Warsaw, right on Winona Lake.

Join the Stars, Stripes & Steps Challenge or join the Freedom 5K! Information below or visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580110891106

https://link.thestepupapp.com/FFZdNB?fbclid=IwY2xjawRJ745leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe5HlvNeBM50e3Z_QgCevzd280WdLYWFS9tvfFLdaUTMa7p1R5_YDw9TwtyhY_aem_qn49lEUqiUKeDvWTMsVc0g

Date: May 16, 2026

Address: 409 IN-14, Silver Lake, IN 46982

Join the Lilly Center for a wildflower identification hike held on the beautiful trails at Wildwood Acres Land Trust. The Hike will be led by Gavin King, the regional manager for ACRES Land Trust, where he'll teach participants how to identify local wildflowers and plants.

The hike will take place on easy trails with minimal hills; however, comfortable, close-toed shoes are recommended as there will be a lot of walking. The Lilly Center will provide light snacks and identification books to borrow during the event. Spring is in full bloom, so let's celebrate its arrival by learning how to identify its lovely blossoms!

This event is underwritten by Depuy Synthes, Zimmer Biomet Foundation, and City of Warsaw Stormwater Utility.

Disclaimer: Event Photography
We often take photos at events that may be used in future Lilly Center communications. Please tell a staff member if you do not want your photo used in Lilly Center media. Event by Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams https://www.facebook.com/events/2312231295925866

Dates: September 25-27, 2026

Combining the fun of some of our favorite season ending events, this weekend is for the whole community with trail runs, a 6 & 12 hour MTB race, kid’s MTB clinics, Kid’s Night Ride and more If you don’t want to race, ride, or run, that’s ok! Come for great merchandise, kids bike events, live music, and food trucks. All events raise awareness and money for our community to be active in the outdoors at the Hauth Trailhead Expansion and the future Winona Lake Bike Park. You won’t want to miss this great weekend!

Races will be scored and have prizes, but our goal is to have fun and not take things too seriously. This is a fun community fundraising event, thus scoring will not be done professionally, and may require participant involvement and a level of honor code/trust.

There are many more featured events here! Check out the schedule https://kcvcycling.org/initiatives/winona-lake-trails/events/winona-lake-trail-fest/

Individually Tracking Steps

To submit your steps weekly please use the Google Form link below!

https://forms.gle/AQ6PyziG6jWtiWy97

or

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMsw7ee_kQjkatpnaMkBduGnoDpgSvrWE6aEs2Yi5y0tMnmA/viewform

Input a total of steps for the entire week. You will use the same link each week but please only submit steps for the previous 1 week of steps.

**If the link is not working try copying and pasting it into the browser directly. It looks like Kosc. firewall may be blocking the link from this page***

Karen Richey

Email: krichey@purdue.edu
Website: extension.purdue.edu/Marshall
Location: 112 W Jefferson St, Plymouth, IN, USA
Phone: 574-935-8545
Facebook: facebook.com/marshallHHS

Purdue University is an Equal Access / Equal Opportunity Employer.

Get WalkIN'