It's Never Too Late to
Move For Health
Statement of Lynn C. SwannChairman,
President's Council on Physical Fitness and SportsOffice
of Public Health and Science U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services
Lynn
Swann, Chairman of the President's Council
on Physical Fitness and Sports, with Senator
Larry Craig (right), Chairman of the Senate
Special Committee on Aging. Swann testified
before the committee on March 11, 2003.
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Good morning and thank you, Senator
Craig and Senator Breaux, for holding this very important
hearing.
My name is Lynn Swann. Some of you
may know me as a Pittsburgh Steeler or an ABC Sports
broadcaster. Today, I'm here as chairman of the President's
Council on Physical Fitness and Sports to talk about
healthy aging. I bring you greetings and best wishes
from two American leaders who are over fifty, like me:
President Bush, and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson.
President Bush is asking all Americans
to do a little bit of what he does every day. His commitment
to physical activity is well-known. He's an avid runner
and works out in a gym regularly despite a demanding
schedule.
The First Lady is another great role
model - she's an avid walker and often rides an exercise
bicycle.
Secretary Thompson has also taken
the physical activity message to heart - he has become
more physically active and has lost 15 pounds.
President Bush says that "better
health is an individual responsibility and an important
national goal." He's right -- a healthy, active
America is a prepared America, able to meet any challenge.
Today, our nation is fighting a war on two fronts. The
war against terrorism and tyranny is well known.
But the second war is a silent one,
the war against chronic diseases that are killing Americans
and driving up health care costs. Surgeon General Richard
Carmona calls it "the terror within."
Our nation's poor eating habits and
sedentary lifestyles are killing nearly 1,000 Americans
every day. The cost of obesity and type 2 diabetes combined
is $250 billion a year.
Congress can't pass a law to make
us healthy. Building a healthy nation requires a change
in the lifestyle of each individual citizen across the
life span.
To older Americans we say, "It's
never too late to move for health." And it's never
too late to start adopting physically active behaviors.
Living an active lifestyle can help
expand your vigorous years and quality of life well
past age fifty, sixty, seventy, and beyond. Some of
the other witnesses who will speak later this morning
prove the invigorating power of the active lifestyle.
The Surgeon General's Report on Physical
Activity and Health says that people of all ages, both
male and female, benefit from regular physical activity.
Thirty (30) minutes of moderate physical
activity on 5 or more days a week reduces the risk of
developing or dying from:
- heart disease,
- high blood pressure,
- colon cancer,
- type 2 diabetes.
Building physical activity into your
daily routine can help add years to your life and can
make your older years a high quality time of life.
Physical activity helps maintain a
healthy weight and improves mental health. And, of course,
physical activity is important for the health of muscles,
bones, and joints. This is particularly important for
seniors, who are at risk for arthritis and osteoporosis.
Yet only about 15 of every 100 Americans
ages 45 to 74 are active for the recommended 30 minutes
a day, five days a week. That figure drops to only 12
out of 100 over age 75 (source: Healthy People 2010,
Focus Area 22, Physical Activity, page 22-10/11).
The prescription for all Americans
age fifty and over is the same as it is for all adults:
moderate activity for 30 minutes a day on five or more
days a week. The result can be significant health benefits.
So, what is moderate physical activity?
I'm a professional athlete, and I love to workout. But
you don't need to sweat in a gym, run a marathon, or
play sports to gain the health benefits of an active
lifestyle. Take a walk after dinner, play catch with
your kids or grandkids, take the stairs instead of the
elevator or mow your lawn. As I said before, it's never
too late to move for health.
To fulfill the vision of a "HealthierUS,"
the President, the Secretary and the Council are asking
each American to:
- Be physically active every day
- Eat a nutritious diet
- Get preventive screenings, and
- Avoid risky behaviors.
To spotlight our efforts for a healthier
nation, the Secretary is hosting a national summit next
month in Baltimore (April 15-16) to highlight policies
that promote healthy environments and model programs
that communities and companies across America are already
using to promote physical activity.
As the Council members and I travel
around the country, we are doing more than quote sad
health statistics. We are offering a tool to get all
Americans, including seniors, to start moving today.
That tool is the "President's
Challenge," a program to motivate everyone to start
moving today and stay active for a lifetime. You or
your kids or your grandkids may have participated in
the President's Challenge in school. But this program
has been expanded to include Americans of all ages.
Today, I am challenging you, Senators,
to start moving 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Participate in the "President's Challenge"
by keeping track of your physical activity on this log.
In six weeks, you can earn a Presidential
Adult Active Lifestyle Award.
Every activity counts - walking, climbing
the stairs, raking leaves, digging in the garden, mopping
the floor, biking, dancing, any physical activity!
As I said before, all types of physical
activity count. And you don't have to do it at one time
- you can accumulate 30 minutes a day in smaller increments
of just 5 or 10 minutes.
Later this year, Americans will be
able to keep track of their activities online as they
earn Presidential awards. We'll be launching a new President's
Challenge website that is interactive and free of charge.
In closing, here's my challenge to
you: take the President's Challenge and challenge your
family to join you; challenge your constituents and
staff to join you. There is a President's Council award
for children, teens and adults.
Most importantly, I ask you to challenge
the older people in your life to start moving - at home,
in retirement communities, at senior centers. Let them
know "You're never too old to move for health."
Please tell your constituents, particularly
older Americans, to "Be physically active every
day." Tell them in your speeches and press conferences
and during your visits to senior centers-any time you
speak about health. Please promote the active lifestyle,
promote a HealthierUS.
Together, step-by-step, day-by-day,
we can build a healthier U.S. for Americans of all ages
and abilities. Remember: "It's never too late to
move for health."
Thank you for inviting me to testify
on this most important topic. At this time I would be
happy to respond to any questions.
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