Gov. Maggie Hassan leads a physically active life. Even with her extremely busy schedule, she still finds the time to incorporate physical activity into her routine.
This year, along with The New Hampshire Governor’s Council on Physical Activity & Health, she is challenging citizens of New Hampshire to take the 90-Day Challenge. The 90-Day Challenge, sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, is a program designed to promote small amounts of daily physical activity.
National guidelines for physical activity recommend 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. Despite these quite modest recommendations, less than 6 percent of Americans meet the guidelines. So, the question of how much exercise is enough is crucial in addressing the sate’s obesity epidemic.
“It is now clear that even small amounts of physical activity can produce substantial health benefits” says Jason Aziz, Chairperson of The New Hampshire Governor’s Council on Physical Activity and Health. “As little as 20 minutes of walking, performed daily can improve blood flow, reduce risk for heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes….collectively our State’s biggest health issues.”
The Governor’s Council on Physical Activity and Health and Governor Hassan believe that citizens do not need to spend a lot of money or purchase expensive equipment to lead an active life. In fact, The 90 Day Challenge encourages usage of New Hampshire’s valuable indigenous resources such as the State Park system. “We have worked hard to collaborate with The Department of Resource and Economic Development (a State department which manages the State Parks), to provide free day use to almost all of the State Parks for all citizens participating in The 90 Day Challenge,” states Aziz.
Taking Governor Hassan’s 90 Day Challenge is free and easy to join. Simply go to http://www.nhmoves.org and click on The 90 Day Challenge link, and enter your name, age, and city or town of residence, and you are registered. You will then be sent a 90-Day Passport via email. The Passport serves as your activity tracker, and State Park day-pass. Weekly motivational e-mail reminders will be sent to encourage you to simply…get out and move!
The 90 Day Challenge begins June 1st http://www.nhmoves.org for all the details and sign up today!
Jason Aziz MS, CSCS, Exercise Specialist at Concord Hospital, is Chair of the Governor’s Council on Physical Activity and Health. Jason can be reached at jaziz@crhc.org or 227-7000, ext. 4258.
Lisa Marzoli BS, MBA, Wellness Coordinator at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, is the Chair of the Membership Committee of the Governor’s Council on Physical Activity and Health. Lisa can be reached at lisa.marzoli@anthem.com or 845-6180.
The Capital Area Wellness Coalition meets in the Smile Building on the second Wednesday of each month at 8 a.m. For more information, call 867-8194 or visit capwellness.org.
