​Every year at this time, we invite all First Nations people in British Columbia (BC) to join the First Nations Health Authority's (FNHA's) 30x30 Active Challenge, which is simply committing to about 30 minutes of any activity during the 30 days of June, and (if you like) sharing your progress on our social media channels. (The 30 minutes is a recommendation, and can be split, for example, into two 15-minute or three 10-minute sessions if necessary.)

The spring and summer seasons are especially good times to either jumpstart or continue our physical wellness journeys by getting out and being more active. There are so many different things to do – swimming, hiking, walking, canoeing, cultural dancing, team sports, and more. Determining what you like and what works for your body is important, because when we enjoy something, we are of course more likely to keep it up.

It is also important not to compare your movement plans with others. If you are just beginning or resuming your physical wellness journey, be patient with yourself. For some, the plan might be drinking more water and walking every day, and for others, it might be swimming, cultural dancing or participating in organized sports. The idea is to find an activity that brings you joy and nurtures your spirit while meeting your health and wellness goals.​

Each of us is on our own unique wellness journey, and what works for one person might not work for another. For example, I (Richard) walk at least 10,000 steps every day, some of which I do on my lunch breaks. I (Nel) walk home from the office most days, which is 9K, and also walk my dog regularly including taking him to Pacific Spirit Park for longer walks on weekends. 

We would love to hear from you during the month of June about your 30x30 efforts, and encourage you to post your physical wellness journey by tagging us @FNHA on social media, uploading a video or photo here​, or engaging with our posts throughout the month of June.

Don't be shy! You never know who you will inspire by sharing your health and wellness journey and the physical wellness tips and techniques that you have found helpful. You can encourage and be encouraged by your friends, family, community, and online community – which will make getting into an exercise habit a little more fun!

We hope you will join our 30x30 Active Challenge! Here is how you can participate this month, and beyond:

• First, commit to do 30 minutes of any physical activity each day in June. Remember that the 30 minutes per day is a recommendation and can be split into two 15-minute or three 10-minute sessions if necessary.
• If you like, invite your family or friends to take the 30x30 challenge with you.
• Read our social media posts and other participants' posts about physical activity for encouragement and inspiration.
• Share photos or posts of your participation, or tag us on social media to encourage and inspire others. The FNHA Wellness Team will select a winner from the submitted posts in the first week of July. (Make sure to use the hashtags #FNHAWellness, #30x30ActiveCh​​allengeFNHA and #BeActiveFNHA.)
• If you'd like the FNHA Wellness Team to support you to share your 30x30 journey, please email them at Active@FNHA.ca.
• Download and use our 30x30 Activity Log and the 30x30 Calendar to track your progress and accomplish your goals!
• Access our resources and tools to support your physical activity goals:
  1. FNHA's Wellness Roadmap – This workbook can support you to determine what your wellness goals are and strategies for accomplishing them.
  2. FNHA's Health and Wellness Daily Organizer – This daily organizer is intended to support you in tracking your wellness activities for all four wellness streams, Being Active, Eating Healthier, Nurturing Spirit and Respecting Tobacco. To order a physical copy of this daily organizer, please email Resources@FNHA.ca.
  3. FNHA's webpage, Being Active.
  4. ​Our partner, the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (ISPARC) offers webinars, training and physical health education opportunities you can access by visiting the ISPARC Events Page.  You can learn about the ISPARC's Indigenous RunWalk program, FitNation training and the Healthy Leader Training by visiting the​ir Healthy Living Page.
  5. Check out ISPARC's new resistance band workout series here.​