Thursday, January 21, 2010

Blast back to B Active!

1-21-10: Blast to the past! Here's our B Active videos and forum...enjoy!

7-26-09: Hot off the iMac! Here's a sneak preview of the video clip introducing the new Be Active Resource Directory for Desert Sierra Region including San Bernardino, Riverside and Inyo Counties. This vid will be played on Thur. at the PA Forum.




7-30-09: DSHN held it's annual physical activity forum today. There were a lot of great speakers and the audience did a LOT of physical activity--this was the least sedentary conf. most of us have attended!

Great job by Pam, Erin, and Brianna, who organized this conf. and working through all the last minute glitches and snafus!

Check out some pixs from this AM. Video clips to follow soon--the activity looks much better in video!



Here's a video clip of the forum yesterday. Couldn't stop the music during the Zumba music, so bear with me...it was edited on Flip's editing software. ;-)

For the "Be Active Resource Directory", go to SB County website and go to the "Things You Can Use" section. Enjoy!

Power of Camaraderie

Excellent article from the "Be Active Your Way" blog I subscribe to!

The Compelling Power of Camaraderie

Posted: 20 Jan 2010 10:42 AM PST

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans provided the nation with an airtight scientific case for why a person should make exercise a top priority. The case is unchallenged and polls show that the health benefits of exercise are generally acknowledged by an overwhelming majority of Americans. Nevertheless, research suggests that most Americans are not active enough to actually reap the benefits.

We are left, therefore, with one simple, maddening, urgent question:

“How do we compel more Americans to exercise regularly?”

We know there are real barriers to physical activity (injury/illness, unsafe environment, etc.), but other commonly cited barriers, such as “lack of time,” seem too often to simply be the consequence of low prioritization; conscious or subconscious choices to put-off exercise until a theoretical later date.

At IHRSA, one way we’ve attempted to address the question is with our I Lost it at the Club! program, an eight-week motivational weight loss program designed to help individuals keep their New Year’s resolutions and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle year-round. Currently in its 6th year, I Lost it at the Club! is set up as a competition among the participating health clubs. Last year, a total of 4,857 participants lost over 22,100 lbs.

Undoubtedly, much of the program’s success is due to the great passion and spirit of the participating clubs and their communities, but we think a critical component of the program is that it ties people to something bigger than themselves. It fosters camaraderie, holds people accountable to others, and celebrates accomplishments. Moreover, it recognizes that physical activity, like obesity, is contagious, and that social environments play a major role in our levels of physical activity.

The compelling power of camaraderie is certainly not a novel concept, but perhaps it has nevertheless been undervalued or underemphasized in the promotion of physical activity. It seems like the business community is beginning to incorporate the idea into workplace wellness programs, and social gatherings like running clubs have certainly flourished, but we’d like to see it spread deeper into society, embraced by families, friends, religious groups, book clubs, Facebook friends, etc.

We want us all to challenge those around us – the people we care about – to be more physically active.

We know there are several wonderful organizations with programs designed to bring people together for physical activity. We would love to hear from as many of you as possible. What are you doing and how has it worked?

Saturday, January 2, 2010

New Year's Day Noon hike!

1-1-2010: Almost 40 people showed up for the noon hike, a first-time event for my annual New Year's Day hikes. A lot more kids and dogs showed up at this one. The temp got into the mid-70's s it was very nice for a hike. Enjoy the pixs!

Friday, January 1, 2010

New Year's Day Sunrise Hike

1-1-2010: Happy New Year! Over 40 people showed up at 5:30 AM at the base of Blue Mountain in Grand Terrace (including the Sheriff--called in by a neighbor reporting "suspicious activity"--but by the time I was done talking with him, he wished he was off duty so he could join us!) for my annual sunrise hike.

The full moon lit our hike up so we didn't need to use flashlights, and the temp was just perfect--no wind, too.

After 2 miles of hiking in the dark, we arrived at the top where we shared some words and did a toast with sparkling cider as the sun rose over the San Jacinto mountains.

Now getting ready for the noon hike! Here are pixs from this AM's hike: