Things You Should Know Thursday

The Biggest Loser has jumped on board with the First Lady to tackle childhood obesity by encouraging families to get active and make better nutritional choices. You can learn more about it and do the challenge as a family by visiting: http://www.letsmove.gov/

Here's an explanation:

The PALA Challenge

Ready to take the challenge?

Commit yourself to the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+) challenge – adopt these simple ways to increase your daily activity and improve your eating habits, and you’ll see a healthier you in just six weeks.

Who can take part in the PALA+ challenge?

Anyone. The PALA+ challenge is designed to suit all ages and abilities. If you want to make physical activity and healthy eating a part of your everyday life, see how easy it is to start making healthy changes right now.

For Adults (that’s anyone aged 18 and older), your goals are:

• Physical activity. You need to be active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, for 6 out of 8 weeks. As an alternative, you can count your daily activity steps using a pedometer (goal: 8,500).
• Healthy eating. Each week, you’ll also focus on a healthy eating goal. There are eight to choose from, and each week you will add a new goal while continuing with your previous goals. By the end of the six weeks, you’ll be giving your body more of the good stuff it needs.

For kids and teens (that’s anyone between 6 and 17 years), your goals are:

• Physical activity. You need to be active 60 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, for 6 out of 8 weeks. As an alternative, you can count your daily activity steps using a pedometer (girls’ goal: 11,000; boys’ goal: 13,000). Read about an upcoming change to step requirements for kids and teens.
• Healthy eating. Each week, you’ll also focus on a healthy eating goal. There are eight to choose from, and each week you will add a new goal while continuing with your previous goals. By the end of the six weeks, you’ll be giving your body more of the good stuff it needs.

In support of the PALA+ challenge, First Lady Michelle Obama has teamed up with NBC’s the Biggest Loser to celebrate the achievements of this season’s contestants. In a special two-part episode of the series, Mrs. Obama announced that the contestants would travel to the White House and participate in a first-ever White House/Biggest Loser workout.
Tonight, the First Lady challenged the players to see who can get the most people to sign up under their names as fellow PALA+ participants. The winner will receive $30,000 worth of gym equipment for his/her hometown – so that an entire community can get active too! Follow the challenge.
Which one of the four challenges is right for you?

• The Physical Fitness Test measures the physical fitness of kids and teens.
• The Adult Fitness Test measures an adult’s aerobic fitness, muscular strength, flexibility, and other aspects of health-related fitness.
• The Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) challenge is for people who want to make physical activity and healthy eating part of their everyday lives.
• The Presidential Champions challenge is for people who want to be more active more often.

Visit the President’s Challenge website to create an account.