City Of Tulsa Offers Resolution Support

By Craig Day, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- The New Year has brought new resolutions to lose weight and get in shape.  City of Tulsa leaders held a FitFest to showcase what Tulsa's parks have to offer.  It's hoped the Tulsa Million Miles campaign will help people stick to their resolutions.

With the New Year, there's a renewed desire to shed weight and get fit.

"Fitness is definitely that New Year's resolution tradition that people are starting and we're definitely seeing it," said personal trainer Andrew Bates.

Loyd Garrison, who turns 82 in a week and a half, has made resolutions for decades.  But, he's one of the few that sticks with them.

"I do two miles on the treadmill, I ride a bike four and a half miles, I do 50 sit ups and they have about 15 functions here and I do them all," said Tulsan Loyd Garrison.

City leaders hope more people are like Garrison.  Tulsa held a FitFest at Hicks Recreation Center.  Part of that is the Tulsa Million Miles campaign, which encourages people to walk, run, bike or swim their way to a healthier lifestyle.

It's a good way to help stick to a new resolution.

"Hopefully, they will keep it up, especially with the opportunity with the Mayor's million miles people will take the challenge and continue with their New Year's resolutions," said Lucy Dolman with Tulsa Recreation Programs.

Participants register on a new website and then log their miles, with a citywide goal of a million.

"The website will even let you plot a trail and it will tell you how far it is that you are walking or running," said Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor.

Already, participants have logged more than 73,000 miles, or nearly three times around the Earth's equator.

For Garrison, it's encouraging.

"Especially in Oklahoma, we're too obese and we need to do something about it.  I think that's going to be a good program, maybe it will wet someone's whistle, to maybe do something better for their life and for their family," said Tulsan Loyd Garrison.