A free fitness program called the Heart Smart Walking Challenge is gaining stride and Tri-City Area residents are invited to step out and participate. Local people are joining group walks with Washington Health doctors and nurses to get health advice and questions answered while they exercise. Participants can track their weekly steps, complete challenges, and become eligible for monthly gift card raffle prizes. Heart Smart walkers also receive inspiring emails with workout tips and advice from personal trainers and health professionals. As of April 1, the Heart Smart Walking Challenge had 122 registered participants who had logged 27,678,936 steps!
“At our monthly walks, participants share their progress, celebrate milestones, and remind us that small, consistent steps really do make a difference,” said Newark Recreation Coordinator Becca Hicks. “Many of our older participants are reclaiming their activity levels after facing difficult life transitions, showing us it’s never too late to start taking steps towards improved wellness. We love seeing people build routines and connect with one another. Watching that sense of community and momentum firsthand is incredibly rewarding,” she added.
Union City Community and Recreation Services and Washington Health partnered on the walking program last year in response to Washington Health’s 2023 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) that found Union City residents had more emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths related to heart disease. The 2025 CHNA further confirmed the data and found both Union City and Newark residents had higher stroke mortality rates than Alameda County as a whole. The city of Newark noticed the Heart Smart Walking Challenge was gaining traction and joined the effort to get their residents informed, moving and motivated.
“I feel just as energized about this challenge today as I did when we first launched it,” said Union City Recreation Program Coordinator Robert Magbanua. “Expanding into a new city and adding more health walk locations have kept it fresh, but the best part has been the people. We’ve had so many participants tell us this was exactly what they were looking for — something simple that helped them stay active, stay accountable, and even get their families moving together.”
To register for this free, family-fun program go to newarkca.gov/heartsmart and click the “Register Today” button. Once registered, continue to log your weekly steps at the same web address using the “Submit Your Steps” button. Make sure the contact information and city you register under matches the name you use on the activity tracker to be eligible for prize drawings throughout the year. Every month, there is a drawing for two $20 gift cards and a giveaway and every quarter, there is an additional drawing for a $25 gift card.
”People definitely love the raffle prizes — and that’s a great way to get started — but what’s been really meaningful are the stories behind the steps,” said Magbanua. “We’ve had participants use this challenge to prepare for personal goals, like walking pilgrimages such as the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and that’s when you realize this has become something much bigger than just a step challenge.”
To read the 2025 Washington Health Community Health Needs Assessment visit WashingtonHealth.com/CHNA. For more information on the Heart Smart Walking Challenge, visit newarkca.gov/heartsmart.