With the novel coronavirus pandemic keeping more Ohioans at home, the American Heart Association will be moving its Lake & Geauga Counties Heart Walk online.

On June 6, area Heart Walk participants and teams will not physically meet, but are invited to get moving at home or around the neighborhood starting at 8 a.m., according to a news release

Here are a few activities participants can consider choosing from:

Take a walk outside - while following current social distancing guidelines

Get the whole family involved and have an indoor dance party

Try out a few strengthening exercises like push-ups, lunges and squats

Create an at home circuit workout.

Now, more than ever, were all looking for innovative ways to connect with others, stay physically active and stay positive, American Heart Association Executive Director Valerie Hillow Gates said in the release.

The Heart Walk also is a critical piece to funding the organization, which also recently announced a $2.5 million fund for rapid response scientific research projects to investigate the specific cardiovascular implications of the coronavirus, the release stated.

The annual walk also aims to be a fun and meaningful way to celebrate heart and stroke survivors, raise lifesaving funds and encourage physical activity.

This virtual format allows everyone to continue to have fun and support the American Heart Associations lifesaving mission, while adapting to spending more time at home,"Sharon Minjares, director of Integrative Medicine at Lake Health, said in the release."We are grateful for the support from our community and cant wait to see how everyone makes the Heart Walk their own.

To register for the Heart Walk, visit the American Heart Associations website. To participate virtually, walkers should also sign up on the Lake Geauga Heart Walk Facebook event page.

Additionally, May 15 will be Lake & Geauga Heart Walk Rally Day when walkers and teams are encouraged to sign up to walk. Organizers are striving to have 150 community members pledge their support to walk on June 6.

On the day of the Heart Walk, riders are encouraged to wear their spirit and post pictures and videos to the Facebook event page using the hasthtag #LakeGeaugaHeartWalk.

Nancy Guthrie, senior relationship manager at Key Private Bank, and Lora Lewis, vice president of people operations at Kinetico Inc., are co-chairing the Virtual Walk this year.

Visit www2.heart.org to learn more.

Excerpt from:
Lake & Geauga Counties Heart Walk to be held online in 2020 - News-Herald.com