BAY MILLS - Spring is the time to rethink our physical activity habits and get outside to enjoy nature and improve our health. Walking is the easiest, safest activity and can be done by almost everyone with no expense other than a good pair of walking shoes.
In an effort to promote increased physical activity and better health for people of all ages, the Sault Tribe Health Services and the Bay Mills Health Services are bringing Rob Sweetgall, author, walker, speaker to Brimley and Sault Ste. Marie on Monday, May 1. This program is made possible through the Steps to a Healthier Anishnaabe grant funded by the Intertribal Council of Michigan.
Robert Sweetgall has logged over 70,000 miles (walking, jogging, skiing, and snowshoeing) since 1969. This includes an 11,208 mile walk through all 50 states in one year, 1984-1985. Author of 17 books on walking and wellness, Sweetgall has spoken to over 1 million people worldwide on the benefits of active living. In his former life, Robert was an overweight Brooklyn boy, chocolate-cheesecake lover, high school valedictorian and Dupont chemical engineer. Motivated largely by a family history of heart disease, Robert gave up the cheesecake, chemical engineering, and his $50,000 Dupont job to take his healthy message on the road - literally - walking seven times across America from 1982 to 1985. Today Robert serves as President of Creative Walking, Inc. (www.CreativeWalking.com) helping thousands of corporations, schools, hospitals and communities establish Walking Wellness programs.
Sweetgall will be speaking at the following sites; at Brimley Schools for staff and students of Brimley and Ojibwe Charter Schools and for the community at the Bay Mills Waishkey Center of Brimley. In Sault Ste. Marie, he will be speaking at the Elder's Luncheon Program, the Sault Tribe Head Start Center, JKL Bahweting School, and the Sault Tribe Health Center.
The school programs, titled "No Teachers Left Behind; No Students Left on Their Behinds", will focus on helping educators implement a more balanced approach to education that includes more physical activities integrated into every school day in order to improve learning, focus, behavior and most importantly, student and teacher fitness levels. As a part of this effort, a pedometer program will be encouraged as well as walking/activity projects for all students. School administrators and teachers will be given specific activities and projects that can be easily implemented to improve both mind, body, spirit, and character.
The community,elders, and health center staff programs, titled "Motivation to Move - the best activities to reduce stress, weight, diabetes, heart disease, and your rate of aging, will include specific activities and programs that are simple, inexpensive and easy to implement in order to strengthen the body, improve cardiovascular/ aerobic function, reduce blood sugar levels and diabetes risk, lower body fat and blood pressure levels, and improve energy, longevity and total state of wellness.
The "Get Fit With a Frisbee" Workshop, to be held at the Sault Tribe Head Start, is a fun family fitness program promoting muscle coordination, balance and brain power, aerobic fitness, parent and child bonding, active living and fun play.
For more information about these programs in Brimley, contact Mary Elliott at the Bay Mills Health Center at 906-248-5527. To inquire about programs taking place in Sault Ste. Marie, contact Donna Norkoli at the Sault Tribe Health Center at 906-635-8844.
Elliot is a Bay Mills Community Health nurse.
