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

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

Councillors Track their Steps with Ottawa Public Library Pedometers

Every day, beginning with our first steps as a child, we walk. But do you know that for adults ages 18 to 64 it is recommended that you reach 10,000 steps per day? Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) invite you to use a pedometer to track your steps!To mark the end of Physical Activity Month, OPH staff, Board of Health members Katherine Hobbs and Mathieu Fleury, and Councillors and OPL Board trustees Jan Harder and Shad Qadri are wearing pedometers all week. They will be tweeting their step counts and trying to reach the 10,000 a day goal. Follow #ottawawalks and #ottawamarche to see how they’re doing!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

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.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

Follow Councillor Harder @BarrhavenJan, Councillor Qadri @ShadQadri, Councillor Hobbs @Katherine_Hobbs and Councillor Fleury @MatheiuFleury and use #ottawawalks and #ottawamarche to participate and reach your goal! Let us know what you’re doing to increase your daily steps! read more..

source:ottawa.ca

Headache And Migraine Pain-Physical Activity-Good Morning-Coffee Habit-Headaches

Tell us, what do you do to get rid of headache and migraine pain?

Tell us, what do you do to get rid of headache and migraine pain?
18 Signs You're Having a Migraine
Migraines are pulsating headaches, often on one side of the head. Physical activity may intensify the pain, but symptoms can vary from one person to another and from one attack to the next. Here are 18 ways to identify migraines. read more..

source:health.com

Good morning! Are you trying to cut caffeine—or have you tried and failed? Share!

Good morning! Are you trying to cut Caffeine—or have you tried and failed? Share!
9 Ways to Kick the Coffee Habit
Giving up caffeine will help acid reflux as well as sleeplessness and anxiety. But it can also make you cranky, tired, and give you headaches. Here are some simple tips to help you kick the habit. read more..

source:health.com

Transportation Committee Chair-Physical Activity-City Of Ottawa-Residents

The City of Ottawa has two campaigns this month that will...

The City of Ottawa has two campaigns this month that will encourage people to put their bodies to work, including cycling and walking to their workplace. The month of May is both Bike to Work and Physical Activity Month.“Walking and cycling are great ways to get around our city that also benefit your health and the environment at the same time,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “Ottawa is committed to providing the pathways and cycling lanes needed to promote active transportation and with the price of gas, people can save money while getting more physically fit.”The City’s Planning and Infrastructure Department, Ottawa Public Health (OPH), and EnviroCentre are working together to get residents to cycle to work and take up other forms of exercise, like walking, to become physically active.“Bike to Work Month focuses on encouraging residents to try cycling as a clean and healthy choice to commute to work,” said Councillor Marianne Wilkinson, Transportation Committee Chair. “We encourage workplaces across the city to sign up and get their colleagues to discover cycling. We are pleased so many businesses and organizations have supported and accommodated cyclists by providing such amenities as showers, change rooms and bike racks.”Bike to Work Month includes various activities throughout May, including an online pledge at biketoworkottawa.com where participants input their commuter cycling distances travelled to learn how much money they saved and how healthy activities contributed to cleaning the air. All registrants will be automatically eligible to win many prizes, including a new bike.“Cycling and walking are great forms of transportation and activities to ensure you are exercising every day,” said Councillor Diane Holmes, Chair of the Board of Health. “May is Physical Activity Month and we encourage residents to leave their cars at home and bike or walk to work – it’s a great way to integrate physical activity into your daily routine.”One of the key objectives in OPH’s Healthy Eating and Active Living Strategy is to increase active transportation and walking. Research has shown that adults who get 150 minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity per week reduce their risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancers, such as breast and colon cancer. Residents can find tips for getting active at ottawa.ca/health.For more information, call 3-1-1 or visit biketoworkottawa.com or ottawa.ca/health read more..

source:ottawa.ca

Transportation Committee Chair-National Research Council-Physical Activity-Diane Holmes

City will peddle two campaigns that put your body to work

Ottawa - Mayor Jim Watson will be joined by Councillor Diane Holmes, Chair of the Board of Health and Councillor Marianne Wilkinson (Transportation Committee Chair) on Tuesday, May 1 at 2:30 p.m. at the National Research Council (NRC) building (100 Sussex Dr.) to declare May as Physical Activity and Bike to Work Month. Councillor Mathieu Fleury will be emceeing the event.Date: Tuesday, May 1, 2012Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: National Research Council
100 Sussex Dr.Note: In the event of inclement weather, the declaration will be moved inside to the NRC Library on the second floor.NRC employees who cycle or walk to work will be also taking part in the event –. The NRC at the Sussex Avenue location is a participating member of the City’s Bike to Work Month – operated in partnership with EnviroCentre. Ottawa Public Health manages Physical Activity Month, which challenges everyone to be an active tourist and explore Ottawa by walking or biking to festivals, parks, work or school throughout May. read more..

source:ottawa.ca