An invitation from Dr. Evan Adams, Chief Medical Officer, FNHA
September is a time of change. The season is changing, summer vacations are over and the new school term is starting. It's a great time to "re-set" our routines. It's a great time – for example – to join the FNHA's 30x30 Active Challenge! We are inviting Indigenous people throughout BC to commit with us to the goal of doing 30 minutes of physical activity for each of the 30 days of September.
Sign up now at https://fnha.wishpondpages.com/30x30-active-challenge/
Why 30x30?
Regular physical activity is critical to our overall health and wellbeing on many levels. It helps us stay – or become - healthy both physically and mentally. Benefits range from better sleep to improved brain function to the prevention of chronic illnesses.
But why 30 minutes a day for 30 days?
Thirty minutes of daily activity at a moderate to vigorous level of intensity is a healthy goal for an adult (children and youth age five to 17 should aim for 60 minutes per day).
Thirty minutes is also an achievable goal. We can work it into our schedules in one chunk or in three sessions that are 10 minutes long. It's all good – in fact, some recent studies say the small chunks can be healthier for us! (However, if you sign up for the challenge after Sept. 1 or aren't active for 30 minutes every day, don't worry about it. Just hold this as a healthy goal. Every move is worthwhile!)
Thirty days is enough time to create a new habit. The act of committing to a specific habit for one month – in this case daily physical activity – helps us to focus on our intention and instill the habit into our lives. Thirty days is also enough time for us to reap the benefits of regular physical activity, which will reinforce our desire to continue this healthy habit.
Make a commitment – to you
Making a commitment helps us to achieve our goals – especially if other people know about it. Make a commitment to 30x30 by registering for the challenge, by telling others (perhaps encouraging them to join, too!) and by sharing your stories on social media using the hashtags #FNHAWellness; #30x30ActiveChallengeFNHA; and #BeActiveFNHA or tag the FNHA social media pages.
Every day you make decisions that can have a positive impact on your health and wellness – make this one of them!
PS - On Sunday, Sept. 29, I and some of my FNHA colleagues will be at the inaugural Rainforest Trail Run in Burnaby that starts at 10 a.m. The FNHA is one of the sponsors of this five-kilometre fun walk/run through the trails of Central Park on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Coast Salish People. The walk/run was conceived by the Vancouver Sun Run founders as a way to help stimulate physical activity among people in local Indigenous communities. We are asking all participants in the 30x30 Challenge to get active from 10 to 10:30 am that day even if you can't join the walk/run. Live tweet, post on Facebook, and share photos during or after that time to tell us what you are doing - and don't forget to use our hashtags!
