Tribal members hit the ground walking at Ho-Chunk’s annual Diabetes Walk

By Tim Wohlers



Earlier this month, tribal members put their best foot forward at the Nation’s annual Diabetes Walk.  The walk took place in six cities throughout the state –Wittenberg, Tomah, Nekoosa, La Crosse, Black River Falls, and Wisconsin Dells – during the first week of November, which was proclaimed National Diabetes Awareness Month by former President Ronald Reagan in 1984.  The event aims to raise awareness of the disease and get participants thinking more carefully about their lifestyle choices. 
“The walk is just kind of a way to get the community all together,” said Exercise Physiologist Chris Frederick, “engaged and thinking about diabetes during Diabetes Month.” 
It also encourages people to begin exercising on a regular basis, said Certified Diabetes Educator Kathleen Clemons.  According to her, exercise is one of the best combatants against high blood-sugar levels. 
“It reminds them that exercise is going to lower their blood sugar,” Clemons said.  “While they’re actually out there walking, it will be lowering their blood sugar.” 
The walks have been going on for over half a decade, and now reach a larger audience than ever before.  With only two locations taking part in the first walk, and three times as many this time around, the event has largely expanded its reach over the last few years. 
“We have more locations this year than any other,” Frederick said, “because we have more staff.” 
Thanks to that expansion, over 120 people managed to participate in the walk this year.  And leaving the event open to the public surely helped maximize the amount of participation. 
“Anybody could participate in it,” Clemons said.  “So that helped.” 
However, this year’s walk proved quite different than the previous ones.  In the past, participants walked along a set route with signs that displayed information about diabetes.  Upon returning from the walk, they were then asked to complete a questionnaire in order to find out the amount of information that was retained. 
“We put up signs along the walk route,” said Frederick.  “And then we’d have them come back and take a quiz afterwards, to see what they remembered from the signs.” 
But this year, not all of the walking paths included those signs.  That did not matter, though, according to the diabetes educator. 
“It’s just to get people out and moving,” Clemons said, “just to get out there and be active.” 
For that reason, the exercise physiologists chose not to establish a set route at a few of the locations.  This allowed everyone to participate. 
“There was no preset course or distance,” Frederick said, “because that excludes people [who can’t walk that far].” 
Instead, at these locations, participants merely walked as far as they could go.  That way, all interested parties were able to partake in the walk. 
“It was just something to do to get people out there,” Clemons said, “and get a little bit of exercise.” 
After all, participation should be a possibility for everyone.  That’s how the diabetes educators feel. 
“We’re not really fitness testing people here,” said Frederick.  “The idea is just that you get out and move.  So rather than having a set route, like we had in the past with the signs, we thought we’d make it a little more casual this year just to see if that helped attendance.” 
According to the exercise physiologist, the Health and Wellness team wanted to reach as many people as possible.  For the group knows that many at risk for diabetes are not even aware of it. 
“The goal is to catch some of the people that might not be aware that they’re at risk for diabetes,” Frederick said, “and letting them realize they are at risk.” 
So to make these people aware, the team had participants take a diabetes risk-assessment test.  By assigning test subjects a score that directly correlates to their risk of developing the disease, the test alerted high scorers that they may be at higher risk for diabetes than the average person. 
“It’s just getting more people aware,” Frederick said, “and maybe alerting some people that are at risk that didn’t realize it.  And hopefully, that prevents them from going years and years without getting checked.” 
The event included information about prediabetes, as well, a condition that receives much less attention than diabetes itself.  Given that lack of attention, the team strives to keep everybody informed. 
“There’s always some kind of education,” Clemons said, “about diabetes or prediabetes.” 
Frederick and his team also took the opportunity to promote one of their upcoming events, a pedometer challenge that’s taking place through Dec. 4, which will include prizes upon its completion. 
“That was another goal,” Frederick said, “to promote our pedometer challenge.” 
The team ultimately deemed this year’s event a success and looks forward to the next Diabetes Walk, which will once again be held in the first week of November. 


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