Jim Kjellerson was a little leery when his doctor asked him during his yearly check up what he had done differently in 2008.

"Usually that's not a good thing," Kjellerson said, laughing.

But what the doctor wanted to know was how Kjellerson was healthier and had slimmed down five pounds. Part of it might have been eating better, but Kjellerson credits a lot of it to his active lifestyle with the Black Hills Volksports Association in Rapid City.

Kjellerson joined about 20 people on New Year's Day in the lobby of the Alex Johnson Hotel to begin a 10K, or about a six-mile, walk around the city.

"Part of my resolution this year is to get out more, do more hiking and dancing and walking and things I love to do," he said.

Club member Karen Richards of Rapid City also joined the group Thursday afternoon. She walks or hikes at least once a week.

"With the beautiful Black Hills and wonderful hiking trails, I think everyone should be out enjoying them," she said.

And New Year's Day is no different, she added.

"It's a great way to start the new year. Plus, my husband's home watching football."

There are volksports trails throughout the world that are available for walkers and hikers year-round, the Alex Johnson walk being one of them. Club members can go to the locations, do the walk or hike, and then keep track of where they've been and how many miles they've gone by stamping a booklet at the location, said Black Hills president John Moranti. The members can then turn in their booklets to the American Volksport Association headquarters in Texas to be recognized in its magazine.

But most people simply participate for the fitness and social opportunities, Moranti said. Different people have different paces and different goals as well. He and his wife have completed their goal of walking in all 50 states.

The Black Hills club, which has about 150 members, hosts about 50 events a year and completes at least one walk a month as a group.

Some hiking groups around the U.S. also incorporate bicycling, snowshoeing and other outdoor activities into their offerings. Moranti said his 2009 plans call for the Black Hills group to bike the Centennial Trail, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year.

Richards also has set a long-term goal for herself - to get her walking book stamped in Europe.

"We'd love to do it in Europe because that's where it started," she said.

For Thursday though, she wrapped a scarf around her neck and smiled, settling for a brisk walk down the streets of Rapid City.

Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com