Ottawa Public Library-Physical Activity-Ottawa Residents-Steps Per Day-Pedometer

Put your best foot forward by using a pedometer

This week, Ottawa Public Health and the Ottawa Public Library are inviting residents to use a pedometer to mark the end of Physical Activity Month. Several members of the Board of Health and trustees of the Ottawa Public Library Board have been wearing pedometers all week, and have been tweeting their daily step counts with the hashtags #ottawawalks and #ottawamarche. Participating Councillors include Mathieu Fleury, Jan Harder, Katherine Hobbs and Shad Qadri.Recently, Ottawa Public Health released the Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) strategy that promotes walking and active transportation. Walking does not require specialty equipment or a membership to a gym. Walking is a free, accessible and low impact form of physical activity that can be incorporated throughout the day. To increase your daily steps:

• Walk to work or school
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Take a lunch time walk
• Walk to the movies or local grocery store

Residents often choose walking for their leisure physical activity. However, only 10 per cent of Ottawa residents reported biking or walking to work and only 35 per cent of Canadian adults (18 to 64 years old) accumulate the recommended 10,000 steps per day for walking.Wearing a pedometer will show the number of steps taken each day and it will help to compare your current walking activity level with what is recommended for your age. Daily step goals include:

• Children (5 to 11 years): 12,000 to 16,000 steps per day
• Youth (12 to 17 years): 11,000 to 12,000 steps per day
• Adults (18 to 64 years): 10,000 steps per day
• Older adults (65+): 6,000 to 7,000 steps per day

Ottawa Public Library offers a pedometer lending program at all of its branches. With a library card, residents can borrow a pedometer for three-week periods to count their steps and watch their walking increase over time. Every step counts – put your best foot forward and try to reach the daily step goal for your age. For more information on the pedometer lending program and to view pedometer availability, please visit biblioottawalibrary.ca/pedometer.Watch the hashtags #ottawawalks and #ottawamarche for updates on how the board members are doing. Everyone is welcome to participate and tweet their progress. read more..

source:ottawa.ca

Physical Activity-Ottawa Residents-Nutritious Food-Healthy Choices-Healthy Eating

Board of Health approves a new healthy eating and active living strategy

On May 7, 2012 the Ottawa Board of Health approved a three-year Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) strategy in order to help residents make healthier choices about food and physical activity. The strategy is supported by community and municipal partners, and focuses on three determinants of healthy weights: poor nutrition, inactivity and the societal pre-occupation with weight.“We are aware that our residents are not eating enough vegetables and fruit, that they are not getting enough exercise and that the settings Ottawa residents live, learn, work and play in do not consistently support Healthy Choices and behaviours,” said Councillor Diane Holmes, Chair of the Board of Health. “The implementation of the HEAL strategy will support residents to eat healthy, be active and maintain a healthy body image.”[[MORE]]Increasing access to nutritious food, nutrition skills, active transportation and physical activity will remain strategic priorities of Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and the Board of Health.In the short-term, OPH will focus on:

• Reducing consumption of foods that lack nutritional value and are high in calories and sodium, and increasing access to healthier foods;
• Increasing physical activity and active transportation; and
• Dispelling myths and biases around obesity by changing social and physical environments.

OPH is working with a number of partners in order to achieve the changes outlined in the strategy. “In order to reduce the obesity trend, it is key that organizations and policy-makers work together to make changes so that people have greater access to healthy affordable foods and physical activity,” said Christina Marchant from Centretown Community Health Centre, host of the Ottawa Good Food Box program.“One key way to improve the food environment is for restaurants to disclose calorie and sodium information on menus,” said Bill Jeffery, LLB, from Centre for Science in the Public Interest. “This will help people make healthier choices and spur restaurants to make their food more nutritious. We look forward to working with OPH on this valuable initiative.”For more information on the HEAL strategy or the Healthy Eating, Active Living and Healthy Weights in Ottawa, 2012 report, visit ottawa.ca/health or call OPH Information at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656). You can also connect with OPH on Facebook and Twitter (@ottawahealth) for the latest public health information.Resources:
Ottawa Public Health 2011 Annual Report
Healthy Eating, Active Living and Healthy Weights, 2012 read more..

source:ottawa.ca