General Overview
The statistics on physical inactivity and overweight and obesity may paint a pretty grim picture, but don’t be discouraged. The good news is that there is room for improvement in the way we live, work, and play and that only means that we have the ability to make things change for the better. One way to do this is by introducing your community to the tools and information they need to make physical activity and healthy living a part of everyday life.
You may want to hold an event to celebrate May as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month or to celebrate healthy lifestyles in general. The event can be a place where families or any targeted group can come together to learn about the different activities they can do, organizations or businesses that offer those activities, and other general information to help them make active lifestyles the easy lifestyle.
Regardless of when you decide to hold your event or implement your program, there are numerous partners out there to help you spread the good news about physical activity and healthy living. So, go on, get moving and help everyone else learn and experience how great and easy it can be to be active and healthy!
Getting Started
Prior to specifying the who, what, when, where, and why of the event, you may want to gather a group of current or potential partners who can help you in the planning, organization, implementation, and evaluation of your event. Consider both traditional and non-traditional partners in your area. More organizations may have a vested interest in the topic of physical activity and healthy lifestyles than you think. May is also Older American’s Month, National Bike Month, and Clean Air Month. All of these topics have a tie-in to physical activity. Individuals and organizations that promote these causes may be willing collaborators or participants.
Potential Partners:
- Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
- State physical activity/nutrition coalition
- American Heart Association
- American Cancer Society
- American Diabetes Association
- Hospitals
- Health clubs
- YMCA/YWCA
- Local/regional/state park and recreation department
- Faith-based organizations
- Grocery stores
- Independently owned/operated fitness, yoga, and Pilates studios
- Sports apparel/equipment retailers
- PTA
- School(s) (is there a university or college in your area or even a regional campus nearby)
- Chamber of commerce
- Rotary group
- Elected officials.
Be sure to identify the outcome you hope to achieve by having this event and a way to evaluate whether or not you were successful. You may have the best of intentions, but if you are not reaching your target audience or speaking to them in a language they understand, your efforts will serve little purpose.
Pick a venue.
Keep in mind the need (if any) for access to public transportation. If possible, hold the event at a local park to showcase the facilities all residents can access. If that’s not possible, take into consideration the location of the venue relative to the audience you are trying to reach.
Develop a media plan.
Consider how much time you need to publicize the event. Will one organization handle the marketing and media follow-up? Will a local or regional newspaper or news channel serve as a media partner and are they willing to volunteer advertising space to market your event (or post it in a “what’s happening” column)? If they can’t dedicate air time or print space, perhaps they would be willing to publicize the event on the Internet.
Other media/marketing related items:
- A press release (a sample is provided in this toolkit)
- Talking points and a list of local experts who can speak on a variety of topics such as strength training, physical education, activities for people with disabilities and employee health.
- A lapel pin or other symbol individuals or organizations can wear or post to show support for the event or activity
- A series of features for the local newspaper that focus on physical activity, nutrition, and active living or that focus on different segments of the population (employers, working or stay-at-home moms, care givers, seniors).
Designate an honorary chairperson (people):
You may want to consider inviting the first lady of your state to speak on the importance of physical activity as it relates to her platform or personal interest. If her focus is:
- Education: identify the importance of physical activity in child development and learning;
- An aging parent: physical activity can lessen complications from aging and improve mental health;
- Fighting heart or lung disease: physical activity is vital to prevention.
Kicking-off or Wrapping-up a Program
Do you want to launch a city or state-wide challenge? Some mayors and governors have challenged their constituents to be more active and they are using tracking tools to help people record their activity and announce a winning community, business, school, or individual. The President’s Challenge interactive website (www.presidentschallenge.org) can help you track the activity of a particular group. The website has a special section dedicated to conducting a group challenge.
Other ways to kick-off or conclude an event: a fun run or walk, a corporate challenge (with local businesses), or a Walk to School day or TV Turnoff Week. If you are having a run/walk or any other type of special event, be sure to check with your local government agencies to see if you need
- A permit for gathering in a public space
- Police or other public safety on site
- Any type of bond or liability insurance.
Focusing on a Cause
As part of your event, you may want to consider holding a forum on safe routes to schools or ways to enhance the bike- and walkability of select areas in your city or community. You can invite local elected officials and interested citizens to go on a walkability audit, which takes people through an area or section of your community with the potential to increase walking and biking (a downtown, public transportation stop or route, shopping district), but current design may limit the ability for pedestrians to bike or walk safely, if at all. This means looking at things like sidewalk availability and widths, building facades, traffic patterns and intersections, street widths, and the overall appearance of an area (are there trees, is the street clean, are there places to sit or that offer shade, is the area inviting or nice to look at, etc.). The CDC provides information to help conduct a walkability audit. This specific tool focuses on the workplace, but it can be customized for any section of your community.
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/hwi/toolkits/walkability/audit_tool.htm
Also, the National Center for Biking and Walking has resources to assess and plan for communities that promote active living.
Safety
Promote safe walking and biking. Conduct a bicycle and pedestrian safety campaign. Help drivers be more alert of runners, walkers, and bicyclists on the roads and help those active individuals learn how to be safe while they are active. The Federal Highway Administration has information on programs and messaging to help improve pedestrian safety. Visit http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ped/index.htm. Just as important is athlete safety on the playing field. Topics such as proper hydration and fair play can help parents, coaches, and participants ensure everyone has a safe and fun sports or activity experience.
Worksite physical activity
National Employee Health and Fitness Day is celebrated the third Wednesday in May. Recognize local employers that promote employee health and well-being or centralize your event around this day to show the viability of the worksite as a place to promote individual, family, and community health. With health care costs rising, employers are looking at the value of maintaining health and preventing chronic disease.
School-based physical activity
Improving child health is important to ensure a child has a chance of living a happy, healthy life. Can you host a spring health and activity fair for the local schools or school district? Invite area children to a central site to learn new activities and games (tchoukball, paddle battle, footy kids—Australian Rules Football for children, orienteering, tai chi, or snowshoeing). You can also target caregivers of young children. Even babies need to be active. You can help parents and day care providers learn what they can do for the young children in their lives.
Inclusive recreation and activity
People with disabilities need to be active, too. Unfortunately, many public and private spaces still make it impossible for individuals who have a physical or mental disability to enjoy the benefits of physical activity or sports. The U.S. Forest Service provides materials on making public parks and other recreational spaces accessible. Visit http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/accessibility/ for more information. Look to the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability website as your one stop shop for information about exercise and different disabilities, access to facilities, and the latest research on the field of physical activity and health as it relates specifically to people with disabilities.
Active seniors
Like every other population, older adults benefit from being physically active. Being active can help prevent depression and falls and improve the ability to carry out activities of daily living (getting out of the car, putting away groceries, getting dressed, etc.). The AARP website has a section dedicated to physical activity among people aged 55+. The International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) focuses on the physical activity and fitness of seniors. Learn more at www.icaa.cc. Finally, the National Institute on Aging provides a variety of publications related to healthy aging: www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications.
