Long-term health problems are illnesses that last a long time and don’t go away quickly. These can include things like diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and cancer. They can affect the way people live, work, and feel every day.

Long-term health problems can make it harder for people to enjoy life and do daily activities. They may cause tiredness, pain, or other symptoms that get in the way of school, work, or spending time with family and friends. That’s why it’s vital to help people start and stay healthy.

Public Health works with others to support healthy communities. They work side by side with families, teachers, doctors, and community leaders to share information and connect people to resources. This helps more people get what they need to stay healthy and avoid long-term health problems.

Avoiding long-term health problems takes a team effort. When we all work together, we can build a safe and healthy future where everyone can thrive.

Human Services of Faribault & Martin Counties

Staying active is one of the best ways to avoid long-term health problems. The Fairmont Bike Share program is helping those of all ages stay active and healthy.

Community members of Fairmont can borrow bikes free of charge to ride around town and on local trails. Biking is a great way to get daily exercise that helps keep your heart strong and build muscle. Both of these can help reduce long-term health problems like heart disease and diabetes. It can be hard to stay active when life gets busy, which is why these bikes are available during the summer and fall. It’s a perfect chance for everyone to spend more time being active with friends and family.

Making these bikes easy to access encourages more people to get outside, be active, and enjoy the fresh air. This program helps everyone in the community build healthy habits that can last a lifetime.

Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services

The Sayles Drive Trail is part of Jackson County's evolving trail system and offers everyone a chance to stay active and healthy.

These trails are possible through the partnership of DVHHS SHIP with the Jackson trails, the city council, and the city parks department. These teams work to build and expand active living infrastructure within Jackson County. Together, they have made 8.5 miles of walking and biking trails, with hopes of expanding. This teamwork has even won the city of Jackson a silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community award in 2021 from the League of American Bicyclists.

Going beyond these trails, SHIP assists in adopting a "Complete Streets" policy that would make bikes lanes included whenever roads are redone. With this policy and parts of these trails being part of Safe Routes to School, Jackson city aims to help community members stay active while staying safe which can further prevent illness.

Nicollet County Public Health

Nicollet County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) teamed up with the City of St. Peter Public Works and ALTA Planning & Design on a project to improve walking and biking safety in St. Peter.

For this project, temporary changes were made to busy intersections on South Front Street to make the roads safer and more accessible. It showed how small changes in road designs can make it easier and safer for people to get around and stay active.

After the project, the city lowered speed limits and added seasonal bump-outs to help narrow the road in the neighborhood. These updates will help St. Peter to be a place where walking and biking is safer and more enjoyable.