Prescriptions
To be active on your island, get a map

By Angela Wagner

I recently had some friends visit from Chicago and New York. They immediately voiced their surprise that Hawai'i had no metro, subway or train system to assist with inter-city and neighborhood commutes. Their surprise soon deteriorated into complaining, however, as they quickly became tired of walking everywhere. Being a good public-health advocate, I told them about the surgeon general's recommendation that all Americans get 30 minutes of activity on most days of the week. They were not impressed with my knowledge.

However, soon they actually began to feel more energized, and two of my friends actually lost weight on vacation. Imagine that!

By the time they left, they had actually stopped complaining and begun to talk about how lucky I was to live in place where it is so easy to walk. We were lucky, they said, to have so little crime, clean safe streets, sidewalks, wide shoulders and relatively few highways. "You Hawai'i people," my friend Jill said, "are a bunch of urban hikers."

Research has supported the idea that creating healthy environments should involve the creation of walkable and bikeable cities. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently sponsored one of their staff to attend college and get a degree in urban planning so they could assist with the planning of healthy cities.

We are lucky to live in Hawai'i, something we sometimes forget. To help remind all of us of how great our state is, I have provided a list of physical activity resources — some "urban hiking" routes. The guides and maps were produced as part of the Healthy Hawai'i Initiative by the state Department of Health, to encourage Hawai'i residents to "get off their 'okoles," get out and be active.

Here are those resources, plus numbers to call for copies:

• The Great Aloha Fitness Map highlights downtown walking and running routes. 528-7388.
• The Kane'ohe Fitness Map highlights locations in the Kane'ohe area where families can be active. 235-7747.
• The Lyon Arboretum Trail Map highlights walking and hiking trails for the nature enthusiasts. 988-0466.
• The Waimea/Waikoloa Walking Map highlights Big Island walking sites in those areas. 885-6777.
• The O'ahu Bike Map highlights bike routes around the urban center. 692-7675.
• The 'Ewa Fitness Fun Map highlights local walking routes. 948-5084.
• The Island of Hawai'i Bike Map highlights cycling facilities and roads. 326-9495.
• The West Hawai'i County Kaima'aina Walking Map highlights walking routes in the Kona area. 325-7602.
• The Kailua Area Fitness Map (in the Hawaiian language) highlights areas of particular significance for Native Hawai'ians. 261-0088
• The East Hawai'i Physical Activity Resource Guide highlights fitness sites on the Big Island. 974-4855.
• The Physical Activity Map of the University of Hawai'i highlights walking routes around a UH campus. 956-7606.
• The O'ahu Swimming Resource Guide highlights beaches suitable for beach walks and swimming. 589-2251.
• The Honolulu Walking Map highlights the downtown walking routes surrounding the Queen's Medical Center. 547-4823.
• The West Loch Physical Activity Path Map highlights a West Loch nature walk. 955-0100.
• The La'ie Physical Activity Map highlights fitness sites around the Brigham Young University-Hawai'i campus. 293-3752.
• The Kapolei Walking and Biking Map highlights downtown walking routes and fitness areas. 674-4449.

The O'ahu Fitness Fun Map and Honolulu Kama'aina Walking Map both also are available at the Department of Health. For directions, call 586-4671.

Angela Wagner is a free-lance writer who also works for the Queen's Medical Center as a health educator specializing in diabetes and exercise, and for the state Department of Health as a program manager in the health promotion and education branch.

Several health experts take turns writing this column. Write: Prescriptions, 'Ohana Section, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; e-mail ohana@honoluluadvertiser.com; fax 535-8170. This column is not intended to provide medical advice; you should consult your doctor.