Progress Made on Physical Activity Guidelines Initiative
As a member of the Federal Physical Activity Guidelines Coalition, we are pleased to report significant progress being made in Washington, D.C.
In a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius, the Coalition was able to obtain bipartisan support from Congress urging her to begin the process of reviewing and renewing the federal physical activity guidelines issued in 2008.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans include recommendations of the types and amounts of physical activity that people of any age or ability level should perform to gain important health benefits. Because of the rapidly evolving nature of our scientific understanding of the benefits of exercise, we believe the guidelines must be reviewed at least every five years, as are federal dietary guidelines.
NV Governor Sandoval Joins Healing Moves to Celebrate “Exercise is Medicine” Month
Governor Brian Sandoval and the State of Nevada have joined the Healing Moves Foundation to celebrate Exercise is Medicine™ Month. The Governor’s Proclamation is a Call to Action encouraging primary care physicians and other health care providers to include exercise when designing treatment plans for patients. Regular physical activity is indeed a powerful prescription, with great potential to improve the health of all Americans.
Click on image to see Proclamation
Healing Moves promotes exercise with radio PSA
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Click and listen to the Healing Moves Foundation’s radio public service announcement! The PSA was presented to all of the radio stations throughout the State of Nevada and played June through September this summer. The Nevada Broadcasters Association estimated 600-800 play times per month! It was a great way to get our message out to encourage people to move a little more for better health. We would like to thank the Nevada Organ and Tissue Donor Task Force for joining us in our mission and sponsoring this campaign.
Promoting up-to-date exercise guidelines
The Healing Moves Foundation has become a founding member of the Federal Physical Activity Guidelines Coalition to ensure that the Department of Health and Human Services regularly updates and promotes the Guidelines at least every five years, as is done with federal dietary guidelines. Our organization relies on the latest scientific research concerning the preventive and therapeutic effects of exercise. Over the years, recommendations for physical activity have changed drastically. It wasn’t too long ago that a patient’s treatment plan after most surgeries was days of bed rest. Now, it is common knowledge that most patients who start moving sooner, speed their recovery time.
We support and encourage members of Congress to approve H.R. 3851 in the U.S. House and S.1818 in the Senate, stressing the importance of having regularly updated Physical Activity Guidelines that reflect the latest scientific and translational breakthroughs about the role of physical activity in promoting health and preventing disease.
To view the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, click on the tab “Exercise Guidelines” at the top of our website. View the ACSM Advocacy Coalition.
Protecting the health and safety of young athletes
The Healing Moves Foundation attended a news conference and official launch of the PPE Campaign and Coalition for Youth Sports Health and Safety at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on May 13, 2010. The purpose of the campaign is to encourage consistent, thorough and high-quality preparticipation physical evaluations for athletes beginning training and competition in sports activities. These medical screenings are extremely important to protect our young athletes. People who appear healthy can often have undetected conditions such as heart problems, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, or concussion complications. A new study by the American College of Sports Medicine finds overwhelming support for consistent medical screening of young athletes to identify if any of these conditions are present before they hit the playing field. Currently, there are no national standards when evaluating students. Each state has a different mandate on the requirements for the PPE. (more…)