New Smartphone Application Helps Get People Walking

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Apr 06, 2011, 07:00 ET

New app features more than 2,500 American Heart Association-designated walking paths

DALLAS, April 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Finding a safe, free and centrally located walking path is now as easy as picking up the phone, thanks to a new smartphone application from the American Heart Association.

The free Walking Paths app enables users to find, tag and "like" more than 2,500 American Heart Association-designated walking paths across the country, or even create and save favorite walking paths using the GPS function as they walk.

The app is available now for GPS-enabled Android smartphones – in time for the fifth annual National Start! Walking Day on April 6, when the American Heart Association calls on all Americans to find 30 minutes in their day to walk to improve their heart health. The app will be available for iPhone and iPad users via iTunes on May 1.

The walking paths reflect the American Heart Association's commitment to reaching its goal for the year 2020: to improve all Americans' cardiovascular health by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent. To reach this goal, the association is helping people and their families find more ways to increase their physical activity and make other healthy lifestyle changes.

"The American Heart Association recommends adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week," said American Heart Association President Ralph L. Sacco, M.D. "Walking for as little as 30 minutes a day will improve circulation, lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and promotes weight loss. Additional benefits occur as the amount and intensity of physical activity increases."

Employees of UnitedHealthcare in Las Vegas and Kingston, N.Y., are already gearing up to celebrate National Start! Walking Day. They have designated walking paths near their office complexes and are planning a ceremonial lap April 6. UnitedHealthcare was the fourth-largest national fundraising supporter of the American Heart Association's 2010 Heart Walks.

"The American Heart Association's new Walking Paths app helps motivate people to get more active and enhance their health and quality of life," said Kate Rubin, vice president of social responsibility at UnitedHealth Group. "The walking program can help bring communities together to celebrate the benefits of walking. We are pleased to work with the American Heart Association to give our employees a fun and healthy way to live our mission – which is to help people live healthier lives."

For more heart-healthy lifestyle tools and resources from the American Heart Association, visit www.startwalkingnow.org.

UnitedHealthcare nationally supports the American Heart Association's Walking Paths. Start! is sponsored nationally by SUBWAY® Restaurants.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or join us, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or any of our offices around the country, or visit heart.org.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 37 million people and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

About SUBWAY® Restaurants

Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami and Singapore, the SUBWAY® chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. Their partnership, which continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey - one that has made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business. In the 2010 Zagat® Fast Food Survey, the SUBWAY® brand was ranked "number one" by consumers in the "Most Popular," "Top Service" and "Healthy Options" categories for food brands with 5,000 or more locations. For more information about the SUBWAY® chain, visit www.subway.com. Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/subway. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/subwayfreshbuzz. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc.