London, ON – Londoners are being called upon to make the Forest City “Canada’s Healthiest Community”. The in motion™ Physical Activity Community Challenge was launched this morning at the Covent Garden Market by London Mayor Joe Fontana and the Health Unit’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Christopher Mackie. The month-long event challenges local residents to add at least five minutes of physical activity to their daily routine each day in October. To assist participants, Middlesex-London in motion™ is also launching a mobile app to track progress and minutes of physical activity. The app can be downloaded at www.inmotion4life.ca.
“There are no special qualifications to be part of the Challenge. You don’t need to be an athlete or even in great shape, all you need to do is register and get involved,” says Dr. Christopher Mackie, Medical Officer of Health with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “We want Londoners to get together with their families, friends and co-workers to challenge each other to add physical activity to each day. Take the stairs, ride your bike to work or take a walk. Your body will thank you and you’ll be on your way to healthier living.”
Keeping track of the physical activity minutes logged in the month of October is easy using the in motion™ app, but for those who don’t have smart phones a paper tracking form is available for download from the in motion™ website. At the end of the Challenge, completed forms can be dropped off at any London Public Library branch or community centre, where the minutes of physical activity will be added to the community total.
"When people take up the Challenge, they’ll not only be improving their health, reducing stress and gaining more energy, but they’ll be building community as well,” says Marylou Albanese, the Chair of Middlesex-London in motion™ and the Health Unit’s Manager of Healthy Communities and Injury Prevention. “I think they’re going to find that adding five minutes of physical activity a day is not only easy, but that it’s a habit they’ll carry on long after the Challenge ends.”
The in motion™ Physical Activity Community Challenge is a collaborative effort of Middlesex-London in motion™, the broad-based community initiative whose goal is to promote healthy and active living in London and Middlesex County.
Media Contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit,
519-663-5317 ext.2469 or 519-617-0570 (cell.)
Spokespeople:
Dr. Christopher Mackie, Medical Officer of Health and CEO, Middlesex-London Health Unit
Marylou Albanese, in motion™ Chair and Manager, Healthy Communities and Injury Prevention, Middlesex-London Health Unit