Get Active
Chicago Gets Active
Chicago knows how to move, as three-year old Demarius Johnson can attest. Last month, at Mayor Rahm Emanuel's pre-inaguration family celebration, Demarius learned how to shoot hockey goals with the Chicago Blackhawks' "shoot out" game. The Blackhawks (through the NHL) joined other Lets Move! partners at the celebration, encouraging kids to be active.
I am strong, I am empowered, I am healthy, I am a Girl on the Run!
I start most days with a run, but this Sunday, June 5th was something special: I joined 717 girls, aged 8 to 13, at the biannual Girls on the Run – DC 5K race at American University. With 177 volunteer coaches and hundreds of family members and friends there to support them, these ‘girls on the run’ were strong and confident, full of energy and fun.
Ideas for Your Community
Let’s Move! is making great strides in our efforts to end childhood obesity, but we cannot reverse the current obesity trends without the the help of your communities and community leaders. To ensure a country where happy, healthy, lifestyles are the norm, community leaders have some of the biggest roles to play.
National Get Outdoors Day 2011 - Kicks Off Summer Season for Kids
Once again this year, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell is encouraging kids and their families to reconnect with nature and have fun by participating in the 4th annual National Get Outdoors Day (GO Day), on Saturday, June 11. This FREE event is designed to attract diverse communities to outdoor activities and motivate kids to get moving and explore their forests and other public lands.
“GO Day is an excellent opportunity for kids of all ages to try new activities and become inspired to learn more about nature and conservation issues,” said Chief Tidwell. “As the school year comes to a close, this is the perfect time to have fun and foster a sense of curiosity while realizing that national forests and public lands are a source of great adventure.”
Big Day in the Big D: 154 Schools Receive HealthierUS School Challenge Awards
May 25 was a fabulous day in Dallas, as I presented 154 HealthierUS School Challenge awards to schools of the Dallas Independent School District – the greatest number to a single school district thus far. 78 schools received gold awards and another 76 earned bronze level awards. And, Texas leads the nation with 228 out of 1155 schools in the 42 states that have earned awards.
Tomorrow is National Trails Day! Let's Move Outside
On June 4, 2011, the American Hiking Society will hold its 19th annual National Trails Day® (NTD), a celebration of America's magnificent trails system and its countless supporters and volunteers. This year’s NTD theme is, “Made With All Natural Ingredients,” which supports Let’s Move! Outside (LMO), the outdoor activity component of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity in a generation. Together, LMO and NTD have inspired land managers and other local and state organizations to host nearly two thousand events nationwide to help connect people, especially youth, with our nation’s extensive trail system.
Our Nation’s Warriors
On May 9th, 2011, I joined fellow members of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition on the South Lawn of the White House. We had the opportunity to participate in and lead exercise stations with military families on a beautiful spring day in Washington. These military families, and the many others across the country, need as much support as possible as they sacrifice to protect our country. At the event, First Lady Michelle Obama announced that Council members had each committed to participating in at least two events this year as part of the Council’s support of Joining Forces, the national initiative launched by the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden to honor and support service members and their families.
Kids Move Outside and Experience Fishing on Lake Bastrop
Last Saturday morning, the sun shone brightly over Lake Bastrop near Austin, Texas, where 28 kids and 14 boat captains joined hundreds of volunteers to experience the joys of fishing at the Bureau of Reclamation's 8th Annual Catch A Special Thrill event.
Get Outside and Be Active: National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
Warmer weather brings a greater opportunity to get outside and be active! To encourage all of us to incorporate physical activity into our daily lives, President Obama signed a proclamation declaring May National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, a tradition that started in 1983. In the proclamation, President Obama calls on the American people to make daily physical activity, sports participation, and good nutrition a priority in their lives.
Are you ready for the 2 Mile Challenge?
Cross-posted from the Department of Transportation blog.
High gas prices are hitting American families in their wallets and pockets pretty hard these days. But did you know that more than 40 percent of urban trips in the United States are less than two miles, yet 90 percent of those short trip are taken by car?
