Fitness is Fun!
February 2008

Greetings from the office of the President's Challenge Physical Activity and Greetings from the office of the President's Challenge Physical Activity and Fitness Awards Program! You have received the February 2008 issue of Fitness is Fun, the official e-mail distribution of the President's Challenge. These monthly e-mails will keep you updated on our programs, activities of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) and other current information pertaining to health and fitness.

Fitness Question of the Month for February:

What advice do you have for people who want to begin exercising again?

Please respond via E-mail to The President's Challenge at preschal@indiana.edu. We'll include the most insightful responses in the March issue of Fitness is Fun. Be sure to view the responses to January's Fitness Question near the end of this newsletter.

Have you or someone else motivated a group of children or adults to lead a healthier life? Email us your story at Preschal@indiana.edu and it could be featured in next month’s newsletter!

PCPFS NEWS:

The National President's Challenge is coming!
A HEALTHIER NATION: “IT’S EVERYONE’S CHALLENGE!!!”
The PCPFS will be launching a National Challenge on March 20, 2008. This physical activity challenge will help Americans of all ages “Spring into Action” by utilizing the President’s Challenge web site to track physical activity. Information will be coming soon on how individuals, families, organizations, schools, businesses, and industries can make their state more active. The Challenge will take place from March 20th to May 15th. Look for more information in upcoming issues of Fitness is Fun, on the President’s Challenge website, and on the PCPFS website. To get more information on the National Challenge you can read the National Challenge Fact Sheet.

Healthy People 2020
PCPFS, as co-lead with the CDC of the Physical Activity and Fitness Objectives of Healthy People 2010 is embarking on the development of a vision and focus for Healthy People 2020. An interactive process, public opinion is welcomed via written and oral comments at regional hearings which will take place this spring in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Fort Worth, DC, and San Francisco. You can view updates and schedules at http://www.healthypeople.gov.

Now Is the Time to Make a Difference
March 17, 2008 - Atlanta, GA

Developing the Framework for Healthy People 2020 Public Comment Meeting

This will be the first in a series of public meetings held across the country to obtain perspectives on the framework used to organize Healthy People 2020 objectives. Public comment on specific objectives will be sought in 2009.

This meeting targets HHS region III and IV participants. Four more meetings will be held in spring 2008 across the country and will target participants from the remaining eight HHS regions. A final meeting is planned in the Washington, DC area.

REGISTRATION: There is no registration cost. To learn more about the meeting and to register online please visit: http://www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/regional/default.asp.

PCPFS Physical Activity & Fitness Research Digest
The PCPFS Fitness Research Digest is published quarterly by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The Research Digest began in 1971 by H. Harrison Clark, Ed.D., a research professor of physical education at the University of Oregon. In keeping with H. Harrison Clark’s original intent, the editorial team does its best to identify and produce Digests that are current to the fields of physical activity, fitness, physical education, and sports. To subscribe to the Digest please visit http://www.presidentschallenge.org/misc/news_research/research_digest.aspx.

Acting U.S. Surgeon General Galson and NIH Director Zerhouni Announcement
Acting U.S. Surgeon General Galson, NIH Director Zerhouni announced expanded efforts to address the nationwide childhood overweight epidemic. A new partnership between the National Institutes of Health's We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition) program and the Association of Children's Museums (ACM) will expand efforts to address the epidemic of childhood overweight. In addition, three major cities -- Boston, Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas -- will be designated as We Can! Cities. We Can!, a science-based national education program to help children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight, is now being implemented in more than 450 community sites in 44 states. We Can! is a science-based national education program developed by the National Institutes of Health -- a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- to help children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight through improving food choices, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time.

For more information, visit: http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or call toll-free 866-35-WE CAN (866-359-3226).

President's Challenge NEWS:

PC’s online exercise tracking system recommended by Exercise is Medicine professionals
Exercise is Medicine’s (EIM) web site recommends the President’s Challenge as a great way to track your physical activity. Exercise is Medicine is a program designed to inform health professionals to encourage patients to incorporate physical activity and exercise into their daily routine. EIM’s web site contains educational materials and toolkits for physicians to use, and information for patients, the media, and policymakers. To learn more about Exercise is Medicine visit http://www.exerciseismedicine.org/index.htm.

julie sweet Health and Fitness Spotlight: Enthusiasm of one man helps motivate an entire community

Finding the time and energy to stay active and eating right can be no easy task. People who find them selves juggling busy schedules, hectic work deadlines, and family responsibilities often struggle to find time to get healthy. Lee Moultrie, of Charleston, South Carolina, may have some solutions.

Moultrie has made motivating others to adopt healthier habits his life’s work. He serves as the program assistant for REACH, a coalition supported by the Medical University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing that seeks to eliminate health disparities in African Americans with diabetes. His drive, positive attitude, and compassion act as inspiration for the people enrolled in his programs, but also the public at large.

Moultrie says that, through REACH he teaches participants how to correctly read food labels and access nutritional information on the internet at local libraries. He also encourages them to begin a low impact physical fitness regime that, with a doctor’s approval, can help to manage their diabetes. Group members meet once a week to discuss their successes and struggles and work together to find solutions to common problems.

But his efforts do not end there. Moultrie also works with the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Community Network in a partnership program with local churches called Body on Soul. The goal of the program is to teach members of the community how to prepare simple meals with only a few ingredients. Emphasis is placed on both simplicity and health, in an effort to teach people that eating right does not have to be expensive or time consuming. Moultrie rounds out his busy schedule by serving on the National Health and Wellness Committee and acting as a member of the 100 Black Men in Charleston, an organization dedicated to honoring men who made substantial contributions towards improving their communities.

While it seems that Moultrie must be impervious to fatigue and stress, he admits he too had struggled to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Moultrie said that his many obligations in the community have occasionally caused him to put himself second. He struggled to find time to exercise and was even overweight at one point in his life. Moultrie said that his own struggles helped him to realize that leading by example may be the best way to encourage the citizens of Charleston to adopt healthier lifestyles. He began cooking at home, bringing nutritious meals into work in response to the fast-food dilemma, and exercising 30 minutes a day- no excuses.

Exercise is certainly an important component of physical fitness and disease prevention, but Moultrie emphasizes that it can also be fun. He recommends finding a way to get fit and socialize at the same time. Moultrie walks the mall with senior citizens and has become a member of the “Lean Team,” a Charleston group that walks 5 miles round-trip over a bridge in the city. Group activities will help with accountability and can simply make fitness a lot more fun.

Moultrie’s unwavering resolve and enthusiasm have helped many people in the Charleston community as they work to live a healthier lifestyle. We commend him for these efforts which serve as motivation for us all.

Have you or someone else motivated a group of children or adults to lead a healthier life? Email us your story at preschal@indiana.edu. and it could be featured in next month’s newsletter!

UPCOMING EVENTS

2008 will be a stellar year with a diverse menu of new tools, resources and guidelines for physical activity. Stay tuned to future issues for up to the minute information on:

Information on the development of the vision for Healthy People 2020
The release of the Physical Activity Guidelines
The National President's Challenge
May, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
Opportunity to become a State Champion; Model School; PCPFS Demonstration Center

The 2008 President's Challenge Exhibit Schedule

National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)
Indianapolis, IN
March 25-28, 2008
http://www.ncea.org

National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
Nashville, TN
April 4-8, 2008
http://www.naesp.org

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
Ft. Worth, TX
April 8-12, 2008
http://www.aahperd.org

NEWS AND RESEARCH

Campaign Launched to Help Lower Childhood Obesity
Massachusetts’s MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation launched a campaign to address childhood obesity. The goal of the campaign is to educate children and families in MetroWest about the health risks associated with obesity, encourage them to consult with professional healthcare providers and promote healthy food choices and activity. MetroWest also provides grants to area schools and youth serving agencies to support health screening services, nutrition and physical education programs.

Because of the Foundation’s generous grants, the Millis Public Schools developed a pilot program that prioritizes health and fitness. The Foundations of Health and Fitness program is a 90-day exercise and health-education program for all 7th and 8th graders. The class features nutritional hands-on activities, physical activity such as using the weight machines while watching a heart rate monitor to ensure they are working their body hard enough. Students also learn how to document their daily exercise progress in a journal. The first year of the program was so successful; all 200 students saw improvement in their health. For more information on more MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation’s programs visit http://www.metrowestkids.org.

Project Investigates Relationship between Dog Ownership and Physical Activity
Data from a RESIDentail Enviromental (RESIDE) project in Australia was used to investigate the link between dog ownership and physical activity levels. The project found dog owners perceived their environments to be more attractive and accessible compared to non-dog owners. Self-reported physical activity data indicated that dog walking accounted for 65% of all walking, and 93% of all walking-for-recreation within the neighborhood. Cutt, Giles-Corti, Knuiman, et al. "Understanding Dog Owner's Increased Levels of Physical Activity: Results From RESIDE." American Journal of Public Health, 98(1): 66-69, 2008.

AARP Releases Strategies to Help Promote Physical Activity among Older Adults
AARP’s Active for Life (AFL) campaign focused on getting sedentary midlife and older adults to engage in moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week. AFL tested the effectiveness of the physical activity directive by conducting targeted physical activity campaigns in Madison, Wisconsin and Richmond, Virginia. The campaigns in each city employed a range of interventions to educate residents about physical activity, provide information about local physical activity programs, and advocate for environmental changes that would make it easier for the 50+ population in each city to walk and bike.

The AFL campaign found campaigns devoted to increasing physical activity in adults over 50 can be successful as long as they involve good planning, energetic outreach, collaboration with local partners, and an education and support system for midlife and older adults who are trying to increase their activity levels. To learn about how you can increase physical activity in your local area visit http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/leaders/promoting_physical_activity_among_those_50.html.

FITNESS QUESTION OF THE MONTH

Many people make New Year’s Resolutions. If yours is pertaining to physical activity or fitness, what actions are you taking to ensure you keep your resolution?

Fitness Question Responses for the Month of January:

One of my new year's resolutions is to clean up my diet by eating clean. I am trying to eliminate sugar, white carbs, and excess fat from my diet. I know I'll feel better if I do that consistently. It is a challenge because I have a sweet tooth. But I am allowing myself a little dark chocolate a couple times a week so I don't feel deprived.
~Barbara

To keep myself on the fit path, I look in the morning at myself in the mirror or when I sit down I get reminded why I get up before the sun rises. I made the choice to better myself mind and body, so if I really want to better myself then I had better take it seriously enough that whenever I see the fat in my arms, back, and especially in my stomach, that the real reason for me to get up, work it out and sweat myself into the better me. Plus imagining in better shape, looking, and health, that helps too.
~Michael

I didn't officially make a New Year's resolution about physical fitness, because for me it is just ongoing. I did however make a commitment to myself that I would be healthier in 2008. To achieve this I have purchased a treadmill to have at home, which I have been using 5 days a week, I also use the fitness center at work for the strength training part, and another coworker and I are starting a water aerobics class next week.
~Becky

I do not drink enough water and so my resolution is to drink more water. I make sure I have a drank at least two 20 oz. bottles of water a day, which is a lot more than I drank before
~Deb

In winter I like to work outside cutting firewood, clearing brush and building rock walls. There are fewer worries about snakes under rocks, biting insects, poison ivy, scratchy briars and getting overheated. A big bonus is that I get wood to heat my house and new garden spaces!
~Vicki

My wife, Julia, and I have resolved that this year would be the year we finally both change our lives, both physically and emotionally. Throughout our implementation - we support each other, everyday. That is I know what Julia has planned and she knows what I have planned and we make sure the other person does what is planned. Support and push to get it done, if the other is reluctant and compliment and praise when the task is complete.
~Stephen

My New Year's resolution is to go beyond the 10,000 steps per day. So to motivate myself I set the challenge of "walking" Route 66 from Chicago to LA (2,200 miles) before the end of school in June.
~Stephanie

To stop smoking. I quit 01/11/08, and still haven't smoked. I started walking for exercise last year. I'm looking forward to walking smoke free this year.
~Patty

REMINDERS:

Remember to fill out State Champion, Model School, and Demonstration Center applications to ensure that your students are rewarded for their hard work! For more information, including application deadlines and guidelines, please visit http://www.presidentschallenge.org/educators/school_recognition.aspx.

SPECIAL THANKS

We would like to extend a special thanks to all of the President's Challenge Advocates. Please visit the Advocates area on the http://www.presidentschallenge.org/ web site to see how companies, organizations and groups are making a difference with the President's Challenge.

FEEDBACK

We would like to hear from you. If you have any topics that you would like to see addressed in Fitness is Fun or any comments regarding this list, please let us know. You can provide them by emailing us at preschal@indiana.edu.

To view past issues of Fitness is Fun visit our website: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/. Enter the site by choosing the appropriate category, then click on "news/research".

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Fitness is Fun! February 2008

Fitness is Fun!
February 2008