The Derby Greenway Trail: on the walkway to better health in Derby, Connecticut

The Derby Greenway Trail runs along the Naugatuck and Housatonic rivers.
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One of the best ways to maintain good health is through physical activity. Walking, running, and bicycling are a few of the many ways to achieve the benefits associated with exercise. Combine that with the fresh air and beautiful scenery of the great outdoors and you create an environment that provides holistic health benefits for both the body and the mind.

A walk is more than just a walk when it’s enhanced with fresh air, beautiful scenery and improved health and fitness. And the same goes for other forms of physical activity such as running and bicycling. And this is precisely what is offered on the Derby Greenway Trail in Derby, Connecticut—a walkway along the Naugatuck and Housatonic rivers enriched with an abundance of nature. This beautiful walkway extends from the Division Street bridge in Derby along the Naugatuck River to the corner of Main and Bridge Street in the downtown area at the Derby/Shelton bridge just off Route 34 (this section runs along the Housatonic River). It’s a 1.7 mile or approximately 4 mile round trip (with the extension of the unpaved path to the O’Sullivan Island area factored in) and may be extending into Ansonia and Waterbury in the future. Plans for an enhancement phase are underway, which will feature the addition of bike racks as well as extending the entire route along the Naugatuck River to Orange, Connecticut. [1][2][3]

A commemorative welcome and posted guidelines at one of the entrances to the walkway.
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The Derby Greenway Trail is exerciser-friendly and offers a host of pleasurable conveniences for the active lifestyle. The beautiful scenery enriches the exercise experience with bridges, railroad tracks, trees, the river, and wildlife. There are park benches placed at various points for a stop-and-rest along the way. There is also a supply of doggie bags to help maintain a pet-friendly environment. Whether you walk alone, with family, a friend, or with the dog, it is sure to be a pleasurable experience. You can marvel at the wildlife, which includes bunnies, snakes, mice, heron, fish, turkey vultures, woodchuck (groundhog), birds, deer, and fox. The scenery has a therapeutic effect in that it instills a sense of peace and serenity in the visitor while they are in it and also after they leave.

Beautiful scenery and resting places along the trail.
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Walk, Run, or Bicycle
You have several options for physical activity on the walkway. You will see many people performing various forms of exercise; among the more common are walking, running, and bicycling. There are also a few skateboarders. For whichever you prefer, there are guidelines to aid you in determining which type and level of physical activity is best for you so you can optimize your exercise plan. Each activity provides dramatic health benefits that affect your cardiovascular system, muscles, bones, mental health, and immune system.

Walking
There are lots of walkers on the Greenway Trail. Research has shown us that walking can reduce the risk of many diseases. The risk of side effects from walking is minimal and the benefits are numerous. It is recommended to walk for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week. If you find it difficult to get out there and walk, trade in some TV time and bring your dog or get your family or friends involved. [4][5]
Intensity vs. Frequency
•   Moderate Intensity Walking: Walking at 45-55% of maximum heart rate, an intensity at which you may be breathing a little harder than usual but able to keep up a full conversation.
•   High Intensity Walking: Walking at 65-75% of maximum heart rate; you are able to speak only in short sentences.
•   Low Frequency Walking: 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes a session.
•   High Frequency Walking: 5-7 times a week for 30 minutes a session.

Walking and running along the trail.
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Running
Runners are another common sight on the walkway in Derby. As one of the top activities for burning fat, running burns more calories per minute than any other form of cardiovascular exercise, with the exception of cross country skiing. An estimated 60% of runners start this form of exercise to manage their weight. Running provides anti-aging effects as it promotes secretion of the human growth hormone (hGH), which is responsible for increased muscle mass, bone density, and energy levels. It also decreases body fat, and improves skin tone and texture and immune system function. Studies have shown that running reduces the risk of stroke and breast cancer and lowers the risk of heart attacks by strengthening the heart and lowering blood pressure. As you run, arteries expand and contract nearly three times as much as usual so this form of exercise maintains the elasticity of blood vessels. Running raises HDL (good cholesterol) levels, lowers the risk of blood clots, and encourages use of the 50% of your lungs that are typically not used. Running enhances the effects of the immune system by producing an increased concentration of lymphocytes (white blood cells that attack disease). So, there are many health benefits associated with running as a means of physical exercise. [6][7]

Cycling
Cyclists of all ages can be seen on the Greenway Trail. Bicycling is a highly effective and enjoyable form of aerobic exercise. It has many health benefits, which include a reduced risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and type II diabetes. It can help also you manage your weight. Bicycling burns about 300 calories per hour, which is equivalent to the energy supplied by a chocolate bar. Bicycling for 15 minutes at 12-14mph (based on 150 lb person), burns 148 calories. This form of exercise improves your mood by raising self-esteem, it relieves symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, and it has been shown that cyclists absorb lower levels of pollutants from traffic fumes than car drivers. Whether riding to work or for leisure, bicycling improves overall fitness. [8][9][4]

Bicycling is a favorite form of exercise.
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Benefits of Exercise
The walkers, runners, and bikers that frequent the Greenway Trail in Derby are all benefitting from their physical activity. Studies have shown that engaging in physical exercise in a natural environment, such as the Derby walkway, increases the overall positive outlook and mental health of a person. Whether you exercise indoors or outdoors, however, it provides a wide range of excellent benefits, which include:

Weight control: A healthy diet plan combined with physical activity is important to long-lasting weight control. Maintaining weight within healthy limits lowers your risk of various diseases. [10]
Decreased risk of heart attack: The Nurses’ Health Study (a 20-year study with 72,000 female nurse participants) reported that performing exercise such as brisk walking for a half an hour a day (or three hours a week) results in a 30% to 40% lower risk of heart disease in women. [4]

A scenic walkway.
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Decreased risk of stroke: Exercise helps to keep blood clots and plaque from forming in blood vessels that could lead to stroke or a heart attack. According to a Harvard study of more than 11,000 men, those participants who engaged in regular, moderate exercise (equivalent to brisk walking for one hour a day, five days a week) decreased the risk of stroke by 50%. [4]
Regulation of cholesterol: Physical activity raises the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL or good cholesterol) and reduces low-density lipoproteins (LDL or bad cholesterol) in the blood. LDL can cause plaque buildup along the artery walls and result in a heart attack. [4]
Blood pressure regulation: High blood pressure (hypertension) is a risk factor for a heart attack and stroke as it strains the cardiovascular system. Staying fit through physical activity is as effective as some medications in controlling high blood pressure. Your body responds positively to physical activity by a lowered blood pressure. [11]
Decreased risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes: In 1997, the New England Journal of Medicine reported the results of a study of over 26,000 women involved in physical activity during leisure time and at work. The results indicated that moderate exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer. A study done on a group of 80,000 men and women in Scandinavia in the 1970’s, showed the role of walking and other exercise in preventing colon cancer. The thought is that exercise speeds up the passage of ingested foods through the colon and so gives less time for carcinogens in the food to come into contact with the intestinal lining. Exercise, such as walking, reduces the risk of obesity and consequently helps reduce the risk of developing type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. Exercise also improves the ability of the muscles to respond to insulin and take up more glucose. [12]
Decreased side effects from chemotherapy: A report in the Cancer journal published data from a study at Freiburg University Medical Center in Freiburg, Germany that showed exercise reduced side effects from high dose chemotherapy. [12]

The morning glory adorns an overpass along the trail.
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Reduced risk of osteoporosis: Walking and resistance exercise (weight training) are weight-bearing forms of exercise that allow bones and muscles to work against gravity or a force to support the body. In this way, these types of exercise build and strengthen bones and muscles and help to prevent osteoporosis. [13]
Reduced risk of forming gallstones: Based on an eight-year Harvard study of approximately 46,000 men ages 40 to 75, researchers found that physical activity plays an important role in the prevention of gallstones. Those participants in the study who exercised the most had the lowest risk of gallstones. [14]
Decreased risk of glaucoma: Dr. Michael Passo of Oregon Health Sciences University found that engagement in a walking program lowered the intraocular pressure of 40 sedentary individuals, which decreased their risk of glaucoma. He also found that exercise lowers the pressure for people with glaucoma. [12]
Improved Sleep: Aerobic exercise, including walking, promotes mental health as it increases energy levels, relieves tension and stress, and improves sleep. The boost in daytime energy levels helps you sleep sounder and longer at night. [15]
Alleviation of Stress and Depression: Research shows that exposure to a natural environment has a profound and positive effect on health. Evidence suggests that the forest and other nature areas help in people’s recovery from stress and fatigue. Stress relief can be detected in people who perform outdoor physical exercise within minutes of exposure to a green or natural environment through measurements of muscle tension, blood pressure, and electrical brain activity. The more often a person visits a green area, the less often they report sickness from stress and the more their positive emotions increase. In a University of Wisconsin study, researchers reported that exercise appeared to be as effective as psycho¬therapy at relieving moderate depression. Physical exercise benefits people by giving them a sense of self-reliance, self-mastery, power, and control. It distracts them from their sadness and raises self-esteem by giving them an opportunity to set and achieve goals and to monitor personal improvement. Walking promotes feelings of pleasure, tranquility, and well-being and helps relieve the pain of depression by encouraging the production of the body's natural opiates, endorphins, which are responsible for the feeling of euphoria known as “runner's high." Exercisers may feel a general sense of well-being that comes from knowing they look better and feel healthier as they manage their weight and tone their muscles. [10]

Butterfly bushes attract beautiful butterflies and the waters are home to herons and fish.
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Along with the health benefits, the most sought after experiences in an outdoor exercise program include enjoying the natural scenery, peace and quiet. The Derby Greenway Trail offers all of those opportunities and more. You have many options in terms of which exercise plan you would prefer and the walkway in Derby is a perfect place to put that plan into action. So, step on out and put yourself on the walkway to better health in Derby, Connecticut.