Million Mile Month® to Texas: Get Fit, Build Community, Have Fun
Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 01, 2014 -- If you see a Capital Metro bus with “Million Mile Month®” on the side, watch Mayor Lee Leffingwell's endorsement on YouTube (http://bit.ly/1gN1Z5b), or catch a glimpse of the crowd gathering at City Hall Plaza to kick off the program on April 1, know this: April is Million Mile Month; get registered and get moving (https://MillionMileMonth.org).
“Million Mile Month is all about showing kids that physical activity is good, it’s fun and you can do it your whole life,” said Dr. Steven Kelder, Ph.D., University of Texas School of Public Health and co-director of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living.
Million Mile Month is a 30-day challenge to all Texans to collectively walk, run, swim, and cycle 1,000,000 miles in support of children’s health and wellness. The program encourages people to exercise -- individually, or as part of a team or race (like the upcoming Capital 10K, CapKids or Fightin' Aggie Mud Run) -- log the time or miles and track their progress. By doing this regularly over the course of the month, participants will be on their way to forming lifelong fitness habits.
Need a little extra motivation? Register as part of a group (business, team, school, organization) and foster some friendly competition. Compete for prizes, such as a stand-up paddle board package from SUPATX or a week at Camp Cho-Yeh, (over $900 values) and help the community reach MILEstones (100,000; 200,000 miles, etc.). The point is to have fun and get fit.
Interested? Walk, cycle or run to the Million Mile Month kick off. It's free and open to the public:
When: Tues., April 1, at 10 a.m.
Where: Austin City Hall Plaza, 301 West 2nd St.
Who:
Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole
Paul Carrozza, fitness visionary
Rip Esselstyn, author of the Engine 2 Diet and My Beef With Meat
Dave Bresemann, senior vice president, Silicon Labs
More Million Mile Month events are happening around the state:
• March 27 – (Austin) Million Mile Month proclamation read by Mayor Lee Leffingwell
• March 29 - (Houston) Mayor Annise Parker announced the program
• April 4 - National Walk to Work Day
• April 5 - Dove Springs Health Fair (Mendez Middle School, Austin) features on-site Million Mile Month signups, appearances by Speaker and Author Anne Fish, Council Members Mike Martinez and Laura Morrison, personal health screenings, a bicycle rodeo, cooking, golf and soccer demonstrations. Sponsored by the Austin Public Library and the Austin Independent School District, the event is free and open to the public.
• April 7-13 National Health Week – Million Mile Month Partner HomeAway promotes the program to its employees as part of National Health Week
• April 13-15 – The Texas Assoc. of Student Councils Annual Conference (Arlington) features on-site signups to Million Mile Month
• April 27 Silicon Labs Sunshine Run (Austin) – Million Mile Month Sponsor Silicon Labs has used the program as a “healthy competition” training tool for employees to prepare for this race.
Why be concerned about childhood obesity?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. According to 2008 FITNESSGRAM® results, approximately 35% of children in grades 2 to 12 were overweight or obese. Obese youths are more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem. Perhaps more frightening, childhood obesity assigns its victims to lifelong poor health, compounded by habits put in place by poor eating habits and lack of physical activity.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Million Mile Month sponsors include Silicon Labs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Camelbak, REI, Luna, Outlaw Protein, Energy Fuel, Pocket Protein, REI and Wahoo Fitness.
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Steve Amos, Million Mile Month, http://Steve Amos, +1 5129707443, [email protected]
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