Pilot project encourages active healthy living

When was the last time you took the stairs instead of an elevator? Or parked at the back of the lot and walked the extra 100 feet to the door?

As small as it may seem, just walking those extra couple feet contributes to a person’s overall health.

To get base employees into the “active living” mindset, the MARPAC Health and Wellness Team is launching the Base Administration Active Living pilot project from February to April. Everyone is invited to the launch party at the Naden Athletic Centre upper gym at 8 a.m. There will be prizes and a short active living demo to get people moving.

Active Living champion Cmdre Bob Auchterlonie, along with the BAdmo, Cdr Wes Golden will discuss the benefits of developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for both the individual and their family.

Each Base Administration employee will be given a log book to track their daily routine; the goal is to encourage change. A person should be active 30 minutes a day and every child at least one hour. The ultimate goal is to have families active every day of the week.

Maryse Neilson, Health Promotion Director for Personal Support Programs, and Chair of the Active Living Working Group, says the families of civilian and military employees play a vital roll in the well being of those on the Defence Team, and therefore should be included in the project.

“A healthy, happy family at home is a stronger and healthier front line,” she says. “It has been proven that exercise and a healthy lifestyle can give a person more energy, a clear mind and a longer life expectancy, reducing the chance of developing dementia or other life threatening conditions.”

The idea is to create attainable goals that drive people onward to a healthier life.

For those struggling to get off the couch, Neilson says, “Don’t think of exercise as a chore, it’s so simple; do something you love. One of the common misconceptions people have with getting exercise is having to go to the gym, and that isn’t the case at all. Although going to the gym is fun for some it may not be for others. Even being active while cleaning the house, doing your gardening, walking the dog or even a nature hike are great ways to get in your daily exercise and you don’t even realize you are working out.”

Neilson hopes that in the three month period, good habits start to form.

She would like to see other branches take part in a similar project.

During Nutrition month in March, the Health and Wellness Strategy’s Nutrition and Weight Wellness Working Group will hand out fruit and veggie packages at the gate to remind people that good nutrition is also an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

-Kara Tibbel, Staff Writer