Physical Activity Through Community Design
REACH's physical activity strategy focuses on encouraging movement through community design and creating opportunities for safe exercise through the Active People, Healthy Multnomah campaign. We promote planning that prioritizes people by connecting activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations. We collaborate with community organizations, the City of Portland, our transportation partners, and community members to promote pedestrian-friendly street planning.
REACH also works with our partners to provide safe and regular opportunities for movement-based activities. Through our initiatives, we have successfully lobbied for better traffic control measures in high-crash areas and increased engagement with marginalized communities.
What is Active People, Healthy Multnomah?
Multnomah County is participating in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) national Active People, Healthy Nation initiative which aims to get:
- 15 million adults from inactive (no aerobic activity) to some moderate-intensity activity every day.
- 10 million adults from some physical activity to meeting the minimum aerobic physical activity guideline.
- 2 million young people from some physical activity to meeting the minimum aerobic physical activity guideline.
How to Participate
- Set a reasonable goal to increase your activity. Some people prefer to exercise for longer periods at once while others like to break up their workouts into smaller sessions. This can look like adding a few minutes of movement and exercise throughout your day or participating in an hour or more each week. Find out what works best for you and create a plan.
- Ask family members, friends, and colleagues to join you. Group activities help build community and can make exercise more enjoyable. Having others around you with a shared goal is a great way to stay motivated.
- Check the REACH events page or Facebook page regularly for events and programming like community bike rides, walks, and more. (Follow and participate on social media with the #ActivePeopleHealthyMultnomah hashtag.)
- Use the Active People Toolkit. The Active People Toolkit is a document outlining free to low-cost activities and local resources that are outdoor or movement-based. See below.
Active People Toolkit
The Active People Toolkit is a guide designed to provide information and resources for partners of Multnomah County REACH and the people we serve. This document contains movement-based community events and local resources. The guide includes the following information and is updated regularly.
- Walk-run groups
- Reduced exercise memberships
- Neighborhood fairs
- Helpful links
REACH aims to improve this guide and encourages community feedback. Use this Google form to provide feedback on the Active People Toolkit.
Walk With Ease
Walk With Ease Program is a community-based physical activity and self-management education program. While walking is the main activity, Walk With Ease is a multi-component program that includes health education, stretching and strengthening exercises, and motivational strategies. The program includes a guidebook and a walking schedule to get you safely moving toward better health.
If you are interested in participating the program, or becoming a certified Walk with Ease practitioner, please contact the REACH Activity program lead, Nsilo Berry at nsilo.berry@multco.us.
Who Are Our Physical Activity Partners
- City of Gresham (COG)
- Oregon Walks
- Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT)
- The Street Trust
- Trimet
- Play Grow Learn
- Miracles Club Wellness within Reach
- Community Health Hubs
- Walk with Ease (Arthritis Foundation)
- Word is Bond
- Soul District Business Association
Traffic Safety Report
REACH works to highlight the increased risk of traffic incidents and casualties Black and African communities face, particularly as pedestrians. Black and African people (among other groups) are more likely to reside in areas that are unsafe and that lack of proper safety measures (stoplights, prominent sidewalks) among high speed lanes. REACH is changing this by encouraging and supporting community members to have their voices heard in urban and city planning projects.
With help from our partners and community members, REACH commissioned the Multnomah County Transportation Crash and Safety Report which details the disproportionate risks Black and African communities face. (See the document at the top of the page.) Visit the Traffic Safety Report page to learn more.