Social Media Plan

It seems that now more than ever, social media is one of the most popular forms of communication…and with good reason! By using social media you can build connections and share information with people who live all over Alberta (as well as all over the world!). Taking this into account, Communities ChooseWell has put together a social media plan to help promote healthy living and to support ChooseWell leaders online more actively. Starting this August, Communities ChooseWell will be posting regular updates to our social media pages. Keep your eyes open for:  

Munchin Monday

Wellness Wednesday

Fit Friday, and

Spotlight Saturday

On “Munchin Monday” watch for healthy and easy recipe ideas. On “Wellness Wednesday” we will post tools or resources to help promote wellness in your community. On “Fit Friday” we will post a fun and easy tip to help you fit in a little more physical activity for the week. Lastly, on “Spotlight Saturday” we will either feature a ChooseWell community and some of the great work they are doing to promote healthy eating and active living in their community or we will feature a partner organization and some of the resources and tools that they have to offer.

Starting on August 11^th we will have two updates a week on both our Facebook page (facebook.com/communitieschoosewell) and our Twitter page (@ARPAchoosewell). We encourage you to use these updates in whatever way you please. Use them for your own information, or share them with your networks to keep your social media pages active and to help promote healthy living web wide. “See” you online! 

Get outside and enjoy your summer!

Now that school is out for summer this means schedules will change! With the beautiful weather in the summer comes a great opportunity to stay active and healthy for the sunny season. Here are some ways you can continue your healthy routine well into the summer months.

Swim!
Swimming is insanely popular pretty much everywhere during the summer months, and is underrated by many people for its calorie-burning possibilities. Just swimming leisurely, not even consistent laps, burns about 422 calories for a 150-pound person. Many towns have community pools, as well as many gyms with low student prices for membership. If these options don’t seem too appealing, if you are able, pile your friends into a car and road trip to a nearby beach!

Garden

Plant a small garden, cultivate a flower box, or if space is really limited, plant a few flower pots. Look online or check in with your municipality to learn if your community has a community garden.

Enjoy the Fresh Fruit and Veggies

Watermelon, berries, summer squash and many others are in harvest.

Walk or Run
The main benefit to summer is the gorgeous weather. While it may be tempting to simply bask in the glow and warmth of the sun, instead, take yourself outdoors and go for a nice jog in the park or around your neighborhood. If you need some incentive, try and start a small dog-walking enterprise! Advertise to your family friends and in local shops, and you never know, you may end up earning some extra cash!

Try Hiking
You may have the misconception that people that hike are granola-crunching hippies. This is a misconception because all types of people hike! There is a good chance you are just a short drive away from at least a nature park or reserve where you can hike. The summer months are a great time to hike, as all of the trees are blossomed and the views will undoubtedly be fantastic when you reach the top!

Take Up Biking
Whether you live in a suburban, rural, or urban environment, biking is a great way to get around and exercise at the same time! If you search the depths of your garage or attic and happen to find a bicycle, take it to a repair shop to make sure it is in tip-top shape before you utilize the vehicle as your mode of transportation. If you don’t have access to one yourself, there are many bike rental opportunities or bike sharing programs if you just look through newspapers or online in your town or city.

Have a happy, healthy and active start to your summer!

Get Moving in June!

Here at the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association office we have been busy promoting our upcoming June is Recreation and Parks Month and Acts of Random Physical Activity Challenges.  As staff members we spend majority of our work time seated at a computer desk. Though many of us are active during our spare time and enjoy sports, fitness classes, running, going to the gym etc…we are starting to realize the countless benefits of simply sitting less and moving more throughout the day!  New emerging research has been showing that the time spent being active really doesn't erase the impact of the time spent sitting, which just amplifies the importance of being mindful of our body’s needs to move more! As staff we realized the importance of walking our talk as we promote our upcoming June challenges to get active and moving more throughout each day.   

We decided to create an Acts of Random Physical Activity Challenge for the staff here in the office. The goal of our staff challenge is to reduce our sedentary behaviors (AKA the amount of time we spend sitting on our butts). Some daily challenges we are doing here at the office include:

• Standing up to answer the phone
• Parking far away from the front door in the morning
• Scheduling walking meetings whenever possible
• And hosting a standing meeting for our next staff meeting

Little changes can go a long way. These changes can be easily incorporated into daily life and can have a huge positive impact on your health. We hope you can take the “stand” with us to sit less and move more in your day! 

Welcome to the Communities ChooseWell Blog!

Hurrah! Let us introduce you to the first-ever Communities ChooseWell blog!

What to expect?

This blog will update you on all of the fantastic things happening with the initiative, remind you of opportunities and resources, and share the successes of the 200+ ChooseWell communities across the province.

Expect to hear tidbits from the Communities ChooseWell staff as well as from our community leaders and partners.

We look forward to blogging with you!