Couch Potatoes, Unite! . . . Then Get Moving !
SPORT/RECREATION COMMISSION--Couch Potatoes, Unite! . . . Then Get Moving!
Does this sound familiar? You work an eight-or-more-hour day, arrive home, eat dinner, then sit in front of the television -- with occasional trips to the fridge -- until bedtime. If this scenario is ringing all too true, the following message is for you.
Spurred by staggering health statistics, including one that says Nova Scotia has the third lowest percentage of regular exercisers in the country (Canadian Institute of Health Information, 2000), psychologist Michael Vallis of the QEII Health Sciences Centre and epidemiologist Andrea Kriska of the University of Pittsburgh are giving a free talk on how to start moving.
Topics will include: what motivates us; how to become and stay motivated; and how to take the first step toward becoming healthier and more physically active.
Dr. Vallis and Dr. Kriska will also present information on the many benefits of activity, as well as links between lack of physical activity and chronic disease, including diabetes. Talks are aimed at giving audience members the tools to get started.
“For most of us, our heart’s in the right place, but we actually set ourselves up for failure,” said Dr. Vallis. “Motivation is something you learn, not have. Sometimes all you need is the right information, the will to succeed and a good map of walking paths to get you started.
“Becoming more physically active is not about having enough money to join a gym – you just need to move more.”
Dr. Kriska said a little bit of activity every day can make a difference to your health down the road. “Just two to three hours a week, or 20 to 30 minutes a day, will help reduce your risk of chronic disease.
“Even that can be spread out over the course of the day, squeezing in a 15-minute walk during your lunch break and a family walk at night,” she said. “You don''t need to become an elite athlete to change your health future, but you do need to move regularly and stay active. An apple a day isn''t the only thing that keeps the doctor away.”
The talk will take place on Thursday, May 24, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., in Theatre A of the Tupper Building at Dalhousie University, 5859 University Ave.
It is hosted by the Capital District Health Authority, the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Diabetes Care Program of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation Commission.
For media interviews:<br x='1'/>
Pam Menchenton, Public Affairs
Capital District Health Authority
902-473-5537
Pager: 902-458-5376