Walk the talk for charity this Ramadan

Residents are being urged to make the most of the city's green areas by joining the Yalla Walk initiative of Dubai Municipality that will donate funds to charity for every step taken. Registration is free of charge and each participant for the month-long event will receive a pedometer with which to count their steps. The event was launched Saturday at Zabeel Park by Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) in collaboration with Dubai Municipality and Samsung Medical Centre. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said the civic body hopes to raise Dh500,000. So far 2,001 people have registered. The opening ceremony had about 70 people. Article continues below Yalla Walk — Every step is a Reward, aims to lure people to take more exercise by walking around the five designated parks: Al Safa, Al Mamzar, Al Barsha, Khawaneej and Zabeel park. The more participants take a walk at any of the walking tracks, the more funds will be raised for charity. Up to 5,000 people are expected to take part. Dubai Municipality has not yet announced the amount of money each kilometre represents in donations, however all funds will go to the Al Maktoum Foundation. Throughout Ramadan, Samsung Medical Centre will provide free medical checkup to participants. A meter installed at each park will record the distance collectively walked and will serve to help the public keep track of the funds they have raised. The participants can also update the distance they have walked through SMS or online. The move is aimed at educating the public about healthy habits during Ramadan, raising funds for charity and encouraging people to use walking tracks across Dubai. According to Dubai Municipality, entertainment and promotional giveaways will be on offer, along with free food and soft drinks. Earlier this year the first Yalla Walk initiative was launched over a two-week period. Around 6,000 people took part and, according to Dubai Municipality, a distance of over 170,000km was covered in the first week. Benefits of walking As far as low-impact exercises go, walking wins hands down. The beauty of it is that it can also ease you into a higher level of fitness and health. It's safe, simple and doesn't require practice. According to the Mayo Clinic, walking can help you lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, known as the "bad" cholesterol. It can also raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol. Walking can lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes, manage your weight, improve your mood and help you stay fit.