Physical Activity: Community Action
The Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention is dedicated to helping you lower your personal risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. However, there are also many things you can do to help prevent these types of diseases in your community.
By taking some of the steps outlined below, you can help ensure that people in your community have the opportunity to lead active, healthy lives.
Support Physical Activity Programs in Your Local Schools and Afterschool Programs.
Talk to Your Supervisor or Human Resources Manager about Physical Activity Programs in the Workplace.
Advocate for Safe and Convenient Walking Paths and Bike Routes.
Support Physical Activity Programs in Your Local Schools and Afterschool Programs.
Healthy habits, including physical activity, start early in life. By getting involved in your local schools or afterschool programs, you can help children to become active -- and stay active. Below are some resources to help you get started.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
School Health Index
Share this index with administrators at your local schools. It will help them to evaluate and improve nutrition-related programs and policies.
National Association of State Boards of Education
Sample Policies to Encourage Physical Activity
Encourage your local schools to develop new policies promoting physical activity.
Afterschool Alliance
Afterschool Action Kit
Volunteer with an afterschool program that offers physical activity programs—or start one in your community. The Action Kit (requires Adobe Acrobat® Reader) can help you find or start a program. Also available in Spanish.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
KidsWalk-to-School
Get together with your neighbors to create a walk-to-school program for local children. Use the KidsWalk-to-School guide to develop a program that is right for your neighborhood.
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Talk to Your Supervisor or Human Resources Manager about Physical Activity Programs in the Workplace.
Employers can play an important role in making physical activity a part of daily life. For example, some companies offer showers for people who bike to work or exercise during their lunch break. Others offer on-site exercise facilities or organize sports teams. Use the ideas and resources below to help make your workplace an active one.
The Wellness Councils of America
Worksite Wellness Resources
Use the resources provided on this site to discuss the benefits of worksite wellness programs with your employer.
Health Canada
Business Case for Active Living at Work
Present the Business Case for Active Living at Work to your supervisor or human resources manager. This resource includes case studies and outlines the benefits of physical activity programs in the workplace.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Personal Energy Plan
Present your employer with information on the Personal Energy Plan, a worksite program that promotes healthy eating and moderate physical activity.
About.com
Workplace walking club
Start a walking club at your workplace. This site offers information on how to get started.
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Advocate for Safe and Convenient Walking Paths and Bike Routes.
Despite their best intentions, people often give up on walking or biking around town because they simply face too many obstacles, with busy intersections, inattentive drivers, and poorly lit sidewalks being just a few. Help make your community more pedestrian- and bike-friendly using the resources below.
America Walks
Advocacy Resources
Join or start a coalition dedicated to enhancing the walkability of your town or neighborhood.
National Center for Bicycling and Walking
Pedestrian Guide
Bike Guide
Learn how you can work with your local government to improve existing conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Contact your elected officials to express your support for safe and healthy transportation options in your area.
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