Don’t Just Sit There! Nine Airport Walking Paths to Stay Fit.
By Cristina Alcivar, VANE Airport Magazine
The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times per week. A person is 1.5 to 2.4 times more likely to have coronary heart disease if he or she is inactive, but walking vigorously for 30 minutes per day can reduce high blood pressure, cholesterol, and the risk of heart disease and stroke.
However, this can be difficult for frequent business travelers to do, especially on a busy travel day spent sitting on planes and waiting at gates. Airports have long been a sanctuary for inactivity, and unfortunately, layovers are one of travel’s evil necessities. But when you do encounter a layover or delay, sometimes all it takes is seeing a sign at the right place and at the right time to prompt a little movement.
Fortunately, many airports have invested in providing travelers inspiration to stay active by creating walking paths to stay fit. Here are a few to check out the next time you fly:
1. Dallas Fort Worth Airport (DFW): Take a 1.75-mile walk from D6 to D40, with optional step courses in the form of 55-foot high staircases at Terminal D’s two Skylink people mover stations. Enjoy the artwork along the path as a part of your journey!
2. Indianapolis Airport (IND): Travelers through IND have four tracks to choose from: ¼ mile through ticketing, two ½ mile tracks in each concourse, and a 1.1-mile track around both concourses.
3. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP): Passengers can join the 1.4-mile walking path in Terminal 1-Lindbergh at any time and track their progress around the loop, adding extra concourses if time permits.
4. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE): Located in all three concourses, these 1.5 mile paths offer a way to stay in shape between connections. The CLE Health Walk was created through a collaboration between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, The City of Cleveland’s Department of Public Health, and the American Heart Association.
5. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG): The four Fit to Fly walking routes are marked in Baggage Claim, the Tunnel and in Concourses A & B, enabling passengers to burn calories while waiting for their flights. Water bottle filling stations are also available along each route.
6. Baltimore-Washington International Airport Thurgood Marshall (BWI): BWI has both a two-mile indoor walking track and 12.5-mile trail around the airport grounds. The BWI Cardio Trail consists of two different loops in the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport terminal. Both are designated American Heart Association Walking Paths. To walk each loop takes approximately 20 minutes.
7. Tampa International Airport (TPA): The Tampa airport offers walking routes through the main terminal as well as Airsides A, C, E, and F. Download maps of each course to keep moving while you wait.
8. McCarran International Airport (LAS): McCarran’s FlyFit program is endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine. FlyFit encourages airport fitness by sharing with travelers convenient walking paths throughout the terminals. Individual maps are available here and range from approximately one-half to 1.5 miles in length, located in both secure and non-secured areas at McCarran.
9. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): Part of a city-wide health initiative, the Sky Harbor Fitness Trail between gates A30 and D8 covers just over a mile of distance where passengers can take in scenic views of the mountains and the city skyline.
Don’t get bored before you board and try airport walking paths to stay fit!
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Cristina Alcivar is the Founder of Vane Airport Media a digital publication that provides the latest news and updates about health and wellness at airports. She is passionate about sharing healthy airport foods, yoga rooms, airports gyms, meditation and quiet areas and much more.
Originally published at www.roadwarriorstrong.com.
