New Year - New Fitness Campaigns

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

09 Jan 2007 05:16 PM

According to the latest statistics and government figures, 65% of Americans, about 195 million people are overweight. What was once considered a minority is now the majority and this epidemic just seems to be growing out of all proportion - pardon the pun. Understanding the dangers of being overweight and obese, the American Heart Association is devoting its time and resources to a new fitness campaign, aimed to educate and support.

Through their free Start! program, the American Heart Association is inviting Americans to follow their hearts and their fitness resolutions. The tracker will allow you to enter what you eat every day along with how much exercise you did. The tracker will return information in summary format including the number of calories you consumed versus the number of calories you exerted.

Heart Problems

The American Heart Association may seem like an unusual organization to be getting into programs on fitness and nutrition with regard to obesity, but a more than casual glance will reveal that they are likely one of the best organizations to stand up and be counted.

Being overweight or obese can:

• Increase the risk for diabetes
• Increase the risk for heart problems
• Increase the risk for high blood pressure
• Increase the risk of stroke
• Has been linked with a higher risk for some forms of cancer

The Start! program has a fondness for walking for, something I can appreciate, because it is among the easiest of activities for all individuals to devote themselves too. According to the Heart Association research, they estimate that an adult gains two hours of life expectancy for every hour of exercise they engage in.

The association is working to get corporations more involved by identifying certain companies as fit-friendly. The designation is given if the corporation meets criteria such as promoting walking programs, listing walking routes and even offering employees a chance to wear their walking or running shoes on sneaker days.

It is the hope of the American Heart Association that by diversifying their investment in a variety of fitness opportunities both for individuals and for corporations. If you were looking for some help with your new year's resolution, check out the American Heart Association and their fitness tracker.

I am.

Related Articles:

Walking - Is it better to do it incrementally or all in one go?

New York Steps Up to the Plate

Exercise & Heart Disease

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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