Gage County on the Move….kids, families, schools, worksites, everyone!  April 2006

Physical Activity for Everyone: Making Physical Activity Part of Your Life

There are 1440 minutes in every day... Schedule 30 of them for physical activity.

Adults need recess too! With a little creativity and planning, even the person with the busiest schedule can make room for physical activity. For many folks, before or after work or meals is often an available time to cycle, walk, or play. Think about your weekly or daily schedule and look for or make opportunities to be more active. Every little bit helps. Consider the following suggestions:

• Walk, cycle, jog, skate, etc., to work, school, the store, or place of worship.
• Park the car farther away from your destination.
• Get on or off the bus several blocks away.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
• Play with children or pets. Everybody wins. If you find it too difficult to be active after work, try it before work. 
• Take fitness breaks-walking or doing desk exercises-instead of taking cigarette or coffee breaks.
• Perform gardening or home repair activities.
• Avoid labor-saving devices-turn off the self-propel option on your lawn mower or vacuum cleaner.
• Use leg power-take small trips on foot to get your body moving.
• Exercise while watching TV (for example, use hand weights, stationary bicycle/treadmill/stairclimber, or stretch).
• Dance to music.
• Keep a pair of comfortable walking or running shoes in your car and office. You'll be ready for activity wherever you go!
• Make a Saturday morning walk a group habit.
• Walk while doing errands.

If you'd like to share tips that helped you make physical activity part of your busy schedule, we'd love to hear it! Your tip may help others in their quest to be more active.

You can't change where you came from. You can change where you are going." —Anonymous

Just knowing that physical activity is good for us doesn't mean that we'll easily be able to make it part of our daily routines—it's sometimes difficult to adopt new habits. But it's important to remember that you can start out slowly and work your way up to a higher level of activity. We can influence our children to start fitness in their lives, too.

This message is brought to you as part of the “Healthy Minds/Healthy Bodies” educational campaign sponsored by Gage County Coalition PATCH/Healthy Lifestyles Task Force, Blue Valley Mental Health Center, Beatrice Community Hospital, and Gage County Safe Schools/Healthy Students.  For further information and resources, contact Sharon Langvardt, MS, LCMFT, Blue Valley Mental Health Center, (402) 228-3386 or bluevalley@alltel.net

 Add More steps in your life to become a healthier you………

participate in Gage County on the MOVE! 

Gage County on the Move 2006 is a physical activity event happening now. It is open to one and all!  Participate for one month or more. Sign up anytime.  Do your activity on your own or with a group.  The community with the most steps receives $10,000 to be used to enhance physical fitness programs in their county. And Individual prizes are given each month.

It’s simple….sign up on a registration form,  do your activity, record the steps on the form, turn in the form at the end of the month.  We’ll even tabulate it for you.  You can do your favorite exercise or you can wear the pedometer all day and record your daily activity steps, or both.  BUT WE NEED YOU!

Registration sites for Gage County on the Move: Beatrice Public Library, YMCA, Indian Creek Mall, Beatrice Post Office.  Or contact Moya, Sharon, Calleen.  The point is to increase your physical activity in your day. We want to help.  This is open to all ages.  Participate as much as you want.

Get physically active for yourself, for prizes, for fun, and to help the community you live in, work in, play in. Classrooms, individuals, teams…..open to one and all.  Check below for the way you can get more active and win prizes!

For more information:

1) Check www.beatricene.com/patch 

2) Email  bluevalley@alltel.net or

3) Contact:

Moya Peters 223-7351

Sharon Langvardt 228-3386

Calleen Hartig  239-9600

April focus---Gage Co. PATCH annual spring Saturday walks….come join us for a morning walk held this year on four Saturdays in April at 9:00 a.m.:

1^st  Chatauqua Park Tabernacle to Riverside

8^th  Riverside Shelter to West Court St.

22^nd  Waterpark to Blue River Bridge

29^th  Homestead Park—March for Parks event

Each week participants will be entered into a drawing for prizes which include a grand prize drawing for a weekend at Mahoney State Park!  Check our websites for a full list of prizes and information about the walks.

This message is brought to you as part of the “Healthy Minds/Healthy Bodies” educational campaign sponsored by Gage County Coalition PATCH/Healthy Lifestyles Task Force, Blue Valley Mental Health Center, Beatrice Community Hospital, and Gage County Safe Schools/Healthy Students.  For further information and resources, contact Sharon Langvardt, MS, LCMFT, Blue Valley Mental Health Center, (402) 228-3386 or bluevalley@alltel.net

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