Get Ready, Get Set, Get Fit

Teri Mills is a longtime Democracy For America community member. Her guest column on health care appears on Blog for America on Fridays and she blogs at www.nationalnurse.org.

We are now six days into the New Year and most likely there are many of us who have set 2006 as the year to get fit. This will take an effort by the entire family especially those with children. Schools have cut physical fitness from their curriculum because of budget cuts, so our kids spend most of their day sedentary. Another contributing factor is that the most popular Christmas toys this year included dolls and computer/video games and neither encourage young people to go outside and play. Adults find themselves too busy with work both away and in the home to even consider stepping outdoors.

The benefits of exercise are many, but keep in mind they will not appear overnight or even in a week. The American College of Sports Medicine found that more than half of us who begin exercising end up dropping our exercise program within three to six months. Health experts want us to remember that exercise may add three years to our lives, allow us to enjoy our work and improve our productivity, decrease heart disease and diabetes, improve our backs, and help rid our bodies of that unnecessary and dangerous fat.

For progressive activists who want to see Congress turn blue in 2006, how about walking on behalf of a DFA-List candidate? Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), the head of the Senate Democrat's campaign efforts, is targeting seven states, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Montana, Tennessee, and Arizona to win. If you happen to live in these states, grab your kids and head to your local Democratic Party headquarters. Children often end up role modeling their parent's activism—just ask "listener" whose daughter served as Chair of the Kennebunkport Democratic Committee this year. Ask party officials for a walking list and head out the door—this should give you plenty of exercise and you will be helping to take back your country at the same time.

Teri Mills, RN, MS, ANP
Democracy for Oregon

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