BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — August 21 is National Senior Citizens Day, a day of recognition of seniors and their contributions to local communities.

Complete Health recently partnered with Princeton Towers to create the group called Princeton Pacesetters, a group of seniors who are walking for better health.

The group meets in the parking lot located at 832 Princeton Avenue Southwest on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The group walks their way to improve rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, arthritis and other age-related illnesses and conditions.

Doctors and advanced care providers with Complete Health are monitoring these seniors’ progress during the program.

“Walking has been shown in multiple studies to like decrease cardiovascular disease. That’s heart attacks, strokes, things like congestive heart failure,” Dr. Gerold Sibanda, M.D., with Complete Health. “It shows that walking as little as 500 steps can actually decrease your cardiovascular risk by almost 15 percent, which is less than a quarter of a mile.”

The Princeton Pacesetters have another round of the program set to start in September. They are asking anyone who wants to participate to do so. It’s free and open to the public.