This June 6 Declared Weight Watchers® Walk-It Day

NEW YORK, June 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Weight Watchers has created the first Walk-It Day scheduled for June 6 to encourage people to get active and walk a 5K.  This nationwide initiative is part of the Weight Watchers Walk-It Challenge that kicked off earlier this spring, emphasizing the importance of physical activity.  Throughout the Challenge, those who have visited www.weightwatchers.com/walkit have had access to motivational tips; encouragement from fellow walkers; and tools to find a walking team in their area.  Weight Watchers meetings members and Weight Watchers Online subscribers have had additional access to a six-week training plan to help them reach their goal of walking a 5K on Walk-It Day.

For the first-annual Walk-It Day, Weight Watchers has teamed up with the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), a national association of running clubs dedicated to promoting healthy exercise. In collaboration with RRCA, Weight Watchers will be sponsoring 5K walks in 16 cities nationwide, including Sacramento, Tampa, and Austin, to promote healthy living.  Additionally, Weight Watchers and RRCA encourage people to form their own walking groups and will help participants map out their own 5Ks for those who are not near one of the 16 sponsored 5K walks.

"The Weight Watchers Walk-It Challenge provides tools and resources to help people incorporate walking into their lives as part of their weight-loss goals, "says Theresa DiMasi, Editor-in-Chief of WeightWatchers.com.  "Walking is a great way to get moving, tone muscles and burn calories."

"At RRCA, we strive to provide our community with educational information and programs that will keep them safe, healthy, and informed," says Jean Knaack, RRCA Executive Director.  "Our partnership with Weight Watchers aligns with our core values, emphasizing the importance of physical activity and our passion for working with walkers and runners at all fitness levels."

Physical activity such as walking is beneficial to a weight-loss plan and critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Research has found that 90 percent of people who've kept weight off successfully included regular activity in their lives.(1) Not only is walking low-impact, but it is also a safer alternative to rigorous, high-pressure workouts. Studies have shown that people can reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke by regularly incorporating at least 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise, like brisk walking, five or more days a week, into their lives. Brisk walking on a regular basis may also help to reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and obesity-related diseases, such as coronary artery disease and , Type 2 diabetes.