Yesterday, I was fortunate to join First Lady Michelle Obama, Representative Dina Titus and Senator Harry Reid at the launch of Let's Move Outside! in the spectacular Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area of Southern Nevada. The Canyon is just a short drive from the bustle of the Las Vegas Strip; this 197,000 acre property takes you to another time and with its solitude, wide open vistas and soaring red sandstone cliffs. Red Rock Canyon is one of only sixteen National Landscape Conservation Areas in the country, managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

This amazing backdrop was the perfect setting for the First Lady's to announce a new component of her Let's Move! campaign -- Let's Move Outside! As the first lady said in her remarks:

Our overall goal for "Let's Move Outside" is to really get our kids active so that they make it a habit of moving around and seeing the activity they need not as a chore but as a fun way to explore our country and to do some things they haven't done.

Doctors, teachers, and other professionals agree that outdoor activity is one of the easiest and most fun ways to get - and stay - fit. And boy, did we have fun!

First Lady Michelle Obama launches her "Let's Move Outside" component of her "Let's Move" initiative at Red Rock Canyon with Senator Harry Reid in Las Vegas, Nevada. June 1, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Twenty energetic kids from nearby elementary schools joined us for the afternoon's activities. The First Lady and Senator Reid led the group in a series of geology stretches. Then, we all hiked over to a sandstone slope, where we watched some able rangers guide kids on a "rock scramble." Even though it was a steep climb, the pay-off at the top was terrific - a panoramic view of the canyon as far as the eye could see. Finally, children were sworn in by First Lady Michelle Obama as official Let's Move Outside! Junior Rangers, capping off an afternoon of adventure, exercise, and good cheer.

There are no better places for America's children to get moving than in the parks, trails, and waters in all of our communities. Whether you are walking, hiking, swimming, horseback riding, or mountain biking --America's public lands have a wide range of affordable activities and adventures for every family. These lands are America's backyard - they are owned by everyone in this country and provide opportunities to get outside in every state, county, and city in the country.

The Department of Interior and the U.S. Forest Service will be hosting Let's Move Outside! events across the country during the summer months. We will engage partners across the public and private sectors to expand access to these places and connect American families to our great big collective backyard. Check out the Let's Move! website to find opportunities to get outside and have fun today!