Walking the Walk

Simpson County Walk-a-Weigh participant meeting fitness goals, improving quality of life

Story by Leah Bowers | Photos by Kevin Hudson

When it comes to losing weight, people need proven, reliable solutions. For Henry “Eddie” Robbins of Simpson County, Walk-a-Weigh offers that answer.

His regular participation in the program has allowed him to drop 125 pounds, and he’s working on losing about 35 more. He says he’s happier, he feels better, and he enjoys being active.

About six years ago, his doctors explained he needed to lose weight, so he began walking on a treadmill at Anytime Fitness. While he was there, he happened to run into Amanda Blakeney, the Mississippi State University Extension Service agent for the county, and she invited him to join the Walk-a-Weigh fitness group she was overseeing.

“When I first came in, I asked Mr. Eddie about working out on the elliptical. He said, ‘Oh, I can’t do that.’ I said, ‘Mr. Eddie, let’s try.’ About two years ago, he was able to start doing the elliptical, and he can do it for 30 minutes to get his heart rate up,” Blakeney explains. “Mr. Eddie is consistent––he joined for his health, to exercise, and build his body up.”

He and his wife, Rachael, participate in Walk-a-Weigh almost every day.

“Amanda has been a very good instructor,” Robbins emphasizes. “We’re working out all the time, and every machine here has a good benefit, which is good because every spot in the body has something that needs working on.”

The Walk-a-Weigh group meets at Anytime Fitness to better accommodate participants, Blakeney explains. When she first introduced the program, participants met outside, but the hot Mississippi summers and the wet winters made regular meetings difficult.

Extension’s partnership with Anytime Fitness gives participants the chance to meet almost every day and provides them with access to a range of equipment, Blakeney shares.

“Leading these fitness courses is very rewarding. Most of our participants are retired, and sometimes we’ll have to change our times around because of doctors’ appointments or travel, but we’ll work it out because we need to be consistent doing the cardio, doing the weights, and doing the walking,” Blakeney says.

“Like Mr. Eddie,” she continues. “If he wasn’t holding on to the treadmill, he couldn’t walk because he can’t walk without holding on to something. So, he holds on to the treadmill.”

Blakeney offers incentives for meeting individual fitness goals: T-shirts. Robbins is proud of the shirts he’s earned.

“Mr. Eddie is wearing one of those shirts today,” she says. “He’s got three of them so far, and when he gets a new one, he goes out and wears it. It’s a great way to spread the word about this program. It’s making a difference.”

Walk-a-Weigh is one of the most impactful programs Extension offers in the county, Robbins says.

“I’d have probably been dead a long time ago if I hadn’t started doing this. I just wish I’d started it after high school,” Robbins laughs. “People should do this program for the benefits they’ll give themselves, their families, and the community.”