How many steps do you walk a day? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tells us we should be aiming for 10,000 steps daily. Apparently, the average American only takes 3,000-4,000. Research shows the number of steps you take daily could lower your mortality risk. It helps with that by reducing the risk of health conditions like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes—conditions the Black community has a higher risk of experiencing.
Because Black women are problem-solvers, GirlTrek, an organization promoting healthy living and communities for Black women, partnered with Columbia Sportswear to launch a limited-edition jacket and trail shoe ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8. The goal of the collaboration is to inspire Black girls and women to walk more. The idea is to get women to walk trails and beyond, or in other words, make walking a lifestyle.
You can purchase the apparel, which is available now.
If you don’t know GirlTrek’s backstory, it’s the largest health non-profit for Black women and girls in the United States and was created by Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison. They’ve recently reached more than one million members with celebs like Halle Berry and Oprah even joining the movement.
This isn’t GirlTrek and Columbia’s first collaboration, though. The sportswear brand has supported the non-profit with product and cash donations of more than $200,000 since 2013.
If you’re trying to push yourself to walk more, considering buying some of the gear and getting outside. You can also find a GirlTrek walk near you if you’d like to find other women to get active with.