So you want your community to be a place where more people are active. How can you make that vision come true?

Take steps by

* being active yourself;
* working with your neighbours to improve your community;
* helping everyone in your community feel they belong.

Start by Being Active Yourself

When you’re active, others are inspired to be more active as well. Say you decide to walk more, or join a sports team, or play active games such as tennis or hide-and-seek. Invite friends and neighbours to join in. Seeing your positive example, they are more likely to get started.

What holds true for the community works in families as well. Active kids often have active parents, because children watch their parents and learn from them. If you’re active every day and show your kids that being active is fun, they will want to be active too. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying “Let’s do something fun outside.” By turning off the TV and being active, you model healthy choices.

If you’re interested in an activity, joining a group may help you get started and keep going. Many women enjoy walking clubs because they can be active and visit at the same time. If there is a community league in your area, it may offer activities you’d enjoy.

What about the seniors’ centre, churches, or sport clubs? You might also start your own group. These days, many people know they need to be active: they just need a reason to start. Belonging to a club or group can help you and your neighbours move towards being more active and healthy.

Work with Your Neighbours to Improve Your Community

If you see things that need to be changed, take action! Your local parks and recreation staff, community league or town council should hear about your ideas. Even if you see much that needs to be done, don’t be discouraged. You don’t need to tackle the entire community at once.

Smaller changes are often easier to make. As a bonus, small successes help convince people that bigger projects will work.

Remember, too, that there is strength in numbers. Talk to your neighbours and friends about what’s needed to make your community active and healthy. Some communities have invited everyone to get involved through walkabouts and workshops. Look for groups that share your concerns. You might find allies in local schools, senior centres, shops, community leagues, revitalization zones, sports groups, universities, or other communities.

Together with like-minded neighbours, build a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. Perhaps you can work with your local school to start a walking school bus or with your community league to advocate for safer streets. At each step of the way, remember to listen to each other. The more we respect other viewpoints and work together, the more good we can accomplish. Once you agree, act and speak together. Many voices are louder than one voice alone.

How can you make yourselves heard? Think about how news travels in your community, and use whatever channels work best. Those might include newsletters, letters and emails to political and recreation leaders, town council meetings, letters to the editor, notices on bulletin boards, and media events. Don’t be afraid to show how much you care.

Get to know politicians and staff who can influence the changes you’d like to see. Look for ways to piggyback on work that’s already planned. Examples include adding a bike lane when a street is repaved or by making sure a new subdivision is designed for active living. Even when progress seems slow, stick with it. The projects that have committed champions are the ones that get done.

Involve Everyone in the Community

In a healthy active community everyone feels that they belong. Some communities have places that help people feel they belong if they are newcomers, immigrants, seniors, or teens. Look for a seniors’ centre, teen club, newcomers’ club, or immigrant organization in your community to help you and your family find a place to fit in. Sometimes by being part of a group we enjoy we become comfortable meeting new people and doing new things.

Here are some things to look for in your community that could help everyone be more active. Is your playground inviting for children? Can students safely walk to school? Are walkways and crossings safe, so older people can walk to the store? Do trails and bike routes encourage cycling to work as well as for fun? Is there a community skating rink? A skateboarding park? Are stores and services mixed in with housing, so people don’t always need to drive to do their errands? Do public policies invite active living?

Celebrate Your Successes

When your community takes a step toward being more active, celebrate! Be generous with your thanks. Salute the staff and volunteers involved. Use this success as a springboard to an even more active community.

By being a role model, speaking out with your neighbours, and helping everyone in your community be more active, you can make a difference. Step by step, you can help your community become more active and healthy.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

Being active outdoors connects us to nature and helps us have balance in our lives. Outdoors, we’re away from the TV, telephone, computer, and other time-consuming, sit-down activities.

While being active outdoors, we become role models for our children, friends, and neighbours. When we’re active as part of a group or team, we build the bonds that help people stay connected. When being active becomes the norm, everyone becomes comfortable being active and involved.

Affordable Ways to Be Active Outdoors

Whatever the size of your community, you can find places and ways to get off the couch and enjoy the outdoors.

Using community facilities and services is a fun and affordable way to be active outdoors. Consider the parks, trails, and programs provided by your local government. If your town has more than 3,000 people, those services may be run by a recreation and parks department. The staff can put you in touch with sports, arts programs, and recreational clubs, and help you choose the activities that fit your interests and abilities. Consider gardening, and see if there are community garden plots available.

If you live in a smaller community, check with your town or village office or with the local agricultural office. It’s also likely that your local recreation centre, county hall, ice arena, or library has information on all sorts of community activities.

Having a place to go also gets us out and about. Beyond work and errands, where else can you go? Many communities offer heritage tours or nature walks. Activities such as orienteering give you things to look for as you walk or run.

You don’t need expensive equipment, just some comfortable shoes or an older model bicycle and maybe a friend for company. Some communities even have programs that give used bikes and other sports equipment to kids and adults who need them. Families can be active outdoors on trails and in parks, playgrounds, and campgrounds.

When choosing a restaurant or theatre, look for one you can reach on foot or by bike. Also think about being active when you plan your holidays. Hiking, swimming, kayaking, golfing…there are so many ways to be active while exploring other parts of the world.

Getting Around Using Active Transportation

Active transportation is another great way to be active outdoors. It can be an environmentally friendly and relaxing way to add activity to your day. Whether walking, cycling, in-line skating, skateboarding, or wheeling a wheelchair, you’re using muscle power rather than fossil fuels to go where you want to go.

Taking an active route to work most days can give you much of the physical activity you need. If you can’t walk all the way to work, consider parking 20 minutes away or getting off the bus early to walk the rest of the way. You may also want to get a group together to walk at lunch time. Try leaving the car in the garage when you do your errands, and walk or bike instead. Besides cutting down on pollution, active transportation is less noisy and helps reduce crime by putting more eyes on the street.

Trails for biking and walking encourage people to use active transportation. A place designed so you can walk anywhere is a walkable community. When people take advantage of walkable design and use self-propelled transportation, they’re helping to create an active, healthy community.

Being Active with Others in Your Community

Being active in a group offers many advantages. The security of numbers can add to personal safety, especially at night. Buddies also help us stick to our goals. What’s more, being active together makes the entire experience more fun.

Longer term, groups that are active together often grow to trust each other, becoming part of the glue that helps communities weather the tough times and celebrate the good.

When finding or forming a group, look for people who share your lifestyle or interests. If you’re a preschool parent, form a stroller brigade, or walk with other parents while your children are in activities together. If you own a dog, invite other dog walkers to join you. If you live near someone who’s headed your way to work, make a point of walking or biking together. If you love to walk or run, check local campuses and running stores for a group you can join.

Setting goals may help you stay active. Wear a pedometer to track your steps, and see how soon you can reach the recommended 10,000 steps a day. Decide to be active at least 30 minutes a day, and chart your progress using a physical activity log.

Getting Out in the Great Outdoors

It’s easy to be active outdoors. Using active transportation and being active with other people are great ways to bring more activity to your day. Choosing activities that are simple, affordable, and fun will mean you’re active outdoors more often.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

What Is an Active, Healthy Community?

An active, healthy community is a place where everyone can live safely and get involved in activities they enjoy. People feel connected and are quick to volunteer and help each other out. Everyone has easy access to safe places to be active. The community offers inviting and affordable public parks and playgrounds; trails and sidewalks; swimming pools, arenas, and libraries. Low-cost healthy food is readily available, both in local stores and schools.

You’ll find the following features in an active, healthy community:

* the community’s design supports being active;
* everyone in the community has the chance to be active;
* people want to be involved in the community.

Designing an Active Community

Careful design is key to an active community. Communities designed for active living connect people with their environment and with each other, making them want to be active and involved.

Stores, parks, playgrounds, recreation centres, schools, churches, and libraries are located near where people live. Safe, well lit sidewalks and good public transportation help people reach the places they need to go. Street crossings are designed with safety in mind. Networks of trails encourage people to walk or cycle for both business and pleasure, a safe distance from traffic. Streets and walkways are pleasing to stroll along, with activities along the way and interesting places to go.

Everyone Can Be Active

Active communities provide opportunities for all who live there. Everyone can use public facilities and programs, including people in wheelchairs and those who have difficulty getting around. Parks have accessible trails, recreation centres have wheelchair ramps, and people are happy to assist anyone who needs extra help.

Walkways are well maintained and meet the needs of all ages and abilities, with benches, ramped curbs, bicycle parking, drinking fountains, and rest rooms. People who work long or unusual hours have places and programs where they can be active. Children walk to school, parks, playgrounds, and their friends’ houses without fearing for their safety.

Getting Everyone Involved in the Community

In an active, healthy community, citizens are involved. They feel they belong, so they want to make their communities and neighbourhoods great places to live.

Volunteers help coach sports teams, lead 4H clubs, run town councils, work on school committees, participate in community leagues, support local charities, serve on church committees, and advocate for positive change. If a community problem comes up, there are people who want to pitch in to solve it.

Places Where People Can Lead Active, Healthy Lives

Active, healthy communities are designed to help people lead healthy, active lives. There are many places and ways to get involved, and many people participate actively. Public parks, programs, and facilities are welcoming, affordable, and accessible. Volunteerism is popular and valued. People in healthy communities take pride in working together to create places where life is fulfilling and fun.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

Do you remember playing on the swings, slides and monkey bars when you were a kid? The natural play spaces children enjoy today often look quite different from traditional playgrounds.

This article explains:

* What a natural play space is.
* The types of activities a natural play space can accommodate.
* Why a natural play space is so appealing to children.
* How to develop a natural play space in your community.

What Is a Natural Play Space?
Natural play spaces use a blend of natural areas, water and local plants to interest children in learning about the wonders and secrets of the natural world. Swings and slides may still be there, but new-style playgrounds also offer other things to do.

Natural play spaces:

* Allow children to be active and creative.
* Are specially designed for children of all ages and abilities and for boys and girls alike.
* Promote light, moderate or vigorous physical activity that supports children’s growth and development.

In natural play spaces, children can play freely but also be involved in organized programs led by a teacher, parent or other community member. Each child can find the activities that he or she most wants to do. The variety offered by a natural play space appeals to kids and supports a wide range of play opportunities.

What Activities Take Place in a Natural Play Space?
Designed play spaces offer lots of interesting and enjoyable places for kids (and adults) to spend time. The activities a natural play space accommodates include:

* climbing
* rolling down hills
* playing with loose equipment
* playing with water and sand
* connecting with nature
* talking in quiet social areas
* moving around on interesting pathways
* riding a bike over bumps

Playgrounds and play spaces can encourage structured play, facilitated play, non-competitive play and open-ended play. Organized activities or programs can help kids discover the many things they can do on a site. Sometimes children just need a little support as they explore their hopes and dreams through play. For example, climbing structures can become a ship’s lookout tower, park areas can provide a nature walk, sand pits can be a place where exotic sand creatures live, and mazes can be created around and through the equipment.

What Is the Appeal of a Natural Play Space?
When children really enjoy a well-designed play space, they want to return there again and again. The place has a special meaning for them and, eventually, special memories.

Ask your children where they like to play, and watch for cues that tell you what they most like to do. Often, you will find they prefer the natural areas of a designed play space. So when you have the chance, visit different playgrounds and take your kids to play in areas with water, grass and hills.

Developing a Natural Play Space in Your Community
Most sites where children play have lots of possibilities in addition to the usual equipment. Creating a new play space doesn’t have to be expensive. Perhaps all that is needed is a grassy hill.

The children in your community probably have lots of ideas about what kind of play space they would like to have. To find out what attracts children, watch them play. And don’t forget to ask them!

If your local playground needs some attention, find other parents, teachers or daycare operators who would like to get involved in a playground project. Form a committee and make plans to discuss a natural play space design with your community league, town council or parent-teacher association.

The variety offered by a natural play space with features such as water, grass and hills appeals to kids and supports a wide range of play opportunities. Such spaces are not necessarily expensive to create, especially when various community groups work together on the project.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

Do you remember biking and walking everywhere when you were young? Much has changed since then. Many of these changes can seem like barriers to getting around on foot or by bicycle.

For example, many communities have grown in size. Our streets have become wider and busier. It may not seem as safe to cross them or ride our bikes along them.

Many new communities are designed in ways that make it difficult to get around. Neighbourhoods with dead-end streets and loops have replaced the older grid pattern. This design means that we lack direct routes to where we are going. Our homes, schools and stores are also now much more spread out.

The result: Most of us aren’t as active as we should be. What can we do?

This article:

* Defines active transportation.
* Lists the personal, economic and environmental benefits.
* Offers tips on ways to make active transportation part of your day.

Active Transportation: What Is It?
Active transportation means using human power to get around for business or pleasure. This kind of transportation could include walking, biking, skateboarding, rollerblading or even using a pogo stick!

If you have to go somewhere and you’d normally drive, stop a moment and think. Is it really that far? Could you walk instead? If it’s a bit far to walk or you’d rather get there faster, could you take your bike?

All it takes is a bit of planning. Why not take a bit of time right now to make a list of places you usually drive and the places you could get to using people power?

The best time to decide isn’t when you’re hopping in your car. Cars get you places faster (you may not have time to get there using another way if you decide too late).

But if you always plan to go to certain places on foot or on your bike, you’re less likely to just jump in the car.

Personal Benefits
Being active on a regular basis reduces your risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, colon cancer and depression (and helps you stay at a healthy weight).

Walking or biking can be a fun, relaxing way to get places. If you can use your bike to go to work or run errands, you’ll find it’s much more relaxing than the stress of being stuck in traffic.

Walking to and from places gives you time to think and enjoy the outdoors in any weather. Impromptu splashes through puddles, snowball fights or dashes through sprinklers can be exhilarating!

Environmental and Economic Benefits
Walking and biking is not only good for you, it’s good for the environment too! Fewer people driving means less air pollution. You’ll be doing your bit to reduce urban smog and climate change.

Leaving your car at home results in safer and calmer neighbourhoods with less traffic congestion. Reducing the number of cars on the road decreases the need for costly road repairs and parking. Green spaces can stay green, instead of paving them over for roads or parking lots.

While it may not be realistic to walk or bike everywhere, each car trip not taken still saves you money. For example, you’ll need to buy less gas and to pay less in parking fees.

You’ll save money on vehicle maintenance too. If you drive less, your tires, brakes, and motor will last longer.

How to Use Active Transportation

* Walking/cycling school bus. Instead of driving your child to school, why not organize a walking or cycling school bus? Students walk or bike to school while under adult supervision.

Just like a school bus, the group stops at planned spots along the way to pick up children as they walk or ride their bikes to school. Adults ensure all the children obey traffic signs and arrive safely.

* Family outings to local stores. If you have stores close to your home, make running errands such as going to the grocery store, drugstore or video store a family outing.

You’ll have lots of time to talk along the way. Each person could take a knapsack to carry things back.

* Biking/walking to work. Could you bike or walk to work? It may take a bit of planning. You may have to leave a bit earlier and will need to have a place at work where you can lock your bike and change your clothes.

Choose an evening or weekend to find a route and to find out how long it takes. Some people take the bus part of the way and then walk the rest of the way.

* Help from cities, employers and developers. Cities can help by making sure there are safe bike lanes, walking trails and bike racks on buses.

Employers can help by providing bike racks and shower/change facilities for their employees.

Developers can help by designing new subdivisions suitable for walking and cycling. Laying out sidewalks and roads that allow easy access to many areas makes it more likely that people will walk or bicycle.

Active Transportation Is the Smart Choice for Our Health and Environment
Active transportation can give you enough physical activity (30 to 60 minutes, in bouts of at least 10 minutes, most days of the week) to:

* benefit your health
* help control your body weight
* help with traffic congestion and pollution
* save you money in parking, gas and maintenance

Leaving the car at home to walk or cycle is an easy way to make physical activity a part of your daily routine.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

Many parents enrol their children in sports to build their child’s character and self-esteem.

Self-esteem is the feeling of self-worth that determines how valuable and competent we feel.

The interactions kids have with teammates, coaches, officials and parents shape how kids feel about themselves.

Critical periods for boosting or reducing self-esteem occur in a child’s young life and again at adolescence. Coaches and parents are both very important role models for young athletes.

Sports experiences can positively or negatively affect a child’s self-esteem.

This article lets you know:

* How sports affects kids’ self-esteem.
* What coaches and parents can do to enhance self-esteem in young athletes.

How Sports Affects Kids’ Self-Esteem
Children’s experiences in sports can affect their self-esteem. Relationships with parents, coaches and teammates can all affect self-esteem.

A positive self-esteem is key to psychological well-being. Children who have a positive self-esteem are better able to cope with wins and losses in sports and life.

These enhanced coping skills can translate into lifetime benefits such as:

* Reduced anxiety.
* A more optimistic outlook on life.
* Fewer interpersonal problems.
* Less chance of conforming to social pressure.
* A better body image.
* Being less likely to engage in risky behaviours, such as drug use.

Children with a negative self-esteem are more likely to:

* be depressed
* have eating disorders
* engage in risky behaviours
* not participate in sports or physical activity
* get bullied

Self-esteem can be enhanced by positive experiences in sports. Children’s self-esteem can be improved by being good at sports or in a particular sport.

Coaches, families and teammates can bolster an athlete’s self-esteem by creating a supportive environment that celebrates the athlete’s skill development and includes positive social relationships.

On the other hand, children’s self-esteem can plummet when they feel inadequate, unfit or unpopular.

How Can Coaches Enhance Self-Esteem in Young Athletes?
Being positive, respectful, inclusive and keeping sport in perspective are key aspects of a positive sporting environment. These factors can enhance coach-athlete relationships and help build positive self-esteem.

Children who participate in highly competitive or intense environments may have more feelings of low self-worth when they lose a game. Wins and losses can be more important to some kids than the physical abilities they develop by being involved in the sport.

The coach can help to refocus these negative emotions by letting the team know:

* What they did well in the game.
* What they learned from the game.
* What they could improve for the next game or practice.

A good relationship with their coach can improve children’s self-esteem. A positive coach-athlete relationship is based on mutual respect. The coach can offer sincere, positive encouragement and recognize the athlete’s effort.

Good communication skills are key to the coach-athlete relationship. Coaches need to be able to communicate with the athlete and to listen to what the athlete says, both verbally and in body language.

If an athlete misbehaves during a game or practice, the coach still needs to make it clear that the “bad behaviour” is undesirable, not the child.

Children misbehave as a method of learning and testing boundaries in sports and in life. The coach can help the child by identifying what is acceptable behaviour and what is not.

It’s very important for coaches to be inclusive and to reject discrimination or stereotyping based on gender, race, age, ethnicity, body size, sexual orientation or ability.

Coaches are important role models for children and are responsible for creating a positive environment that includes good sportsmanship and fair-play.

The coach can develop good sports conduct in the players by being a positive role model. Good sports conduct includes:

* shaking hands with opponents after a game
* showing concern for injured players on both teams
* accepting referees’ decisions
* congratulating excellent effort
* giving credit to opponents
* celebrating wins respectfully

Coaches can enhance athletes’ self-esteem using some of the following strategies:

* Encouraging children to set personal and realistic goals. (A good strategy is to ask children to set personal goals at the beginning of each practice or game that they can realistically achieve that day.)
* Ensuring that all athletes experience some form of success and acknowledging these successes.
* Giving children responsibilities and leadership opportunities on the team. The athlete’s responsibilities should not be based on their ability to play the sport.
* Teaching new sports skills at the beginning of the season and working on them throughout the season. Don’t teach a new skill at playoff time or at a more intense or competitive time.
* Always acting as a role model (kids see everything). Kids will model your behaviour and attitudes on and off the playing field.

How Can Parents Enhance Self-Esteem in Young Athletes?
Parents are also important role models. Try to give your children a balanced life that includes sports but is not overwhelmed by them.

Children need the chance to play with friends and participate in social activities other than sports. This helps kids understand that their self-worth is not solely based on their athletic ability.

You can bolster your child’s self-esteem using some of the following strategies:

* Ask “how the game went” versus “did you win?”
* Encourage your child to focus on the team and the child’s personal game highlight rather than on whether the team won or lost.
* Let your children talk about their feelings during and after the game. This can help solve any frustrations or problems in non-violent ways.
* Although it’s important to talk about your child’s sporting experience, don’t let conversations at home be dominated by sports (such as evaluating your child’s performance, talking about opponents).
* Help your kids experience the fun in playing sports such as being part of a team, making new friends, travelling to other communities, learning new skills and getting some physical activity!

Sports can have a positive impact on kids’ self-esteem. Coaches and parents can enhance children’s self-esteem by:

* Being a positive role model.
* Focusing on accomplishments.
* Acknowledging individual success.
* Giving athletes responsibilities and leadership opportunities.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

Going for a walk every day – what a simple way to be healthy! You can reap huge benefits just by stepping out the door each day to walk around your neighbourhood. Walking is good for your heart and lungs, and your muscles and bones.

Being physically active by walking is easier than getting to the gym regularly or booking those hard-to-get tee times at the golf course. But even walking has its challenges. You may feel you don’t have the time to go for a walk every day. Or you may have concerns about how “walkable” your community is.

Some people address the time challenge by sneaking walks into their daily routines (often called “destination walking”). Could you walk to work, to school, to the library or grocery store? If so, you’ll be delighted to find you’ve completed an errand or trip, and done your physical activity for the day.

The challenge of “walkability” is not so easy to address. However, many communities are working to ensure that people are able to walk in their neighbourhoods. These groups are asking these kinds of questions: Are there businesses close by? Do you feel safe? Are there sidewalks, paths, crosswalks?

The benefits of walking
Walking is good for your health. It uses your whole body and can be as easy or intense as you want to make it. You can do it alone, or with your dog, your family or a group of friends.

Walking is an inexpensive way to get around. It doesn’t take a lot of equipment. A good set of walking shoes and either a good knapsack or buggy will let you carry things like books to the library or groceries home.

Using people power is good for the environment. The more you walk, the less you drive, so fewer pollutants are put into the air.

Walking connects people with their communities and helps them feel they belong there. When you’re out for a walk, you have a chance to greet your neighbours and catch up on local news. You may notice new things going on in your community. Was that new house there a year ago? Is that a community garden in the park?

What makes a neighbourhood walkable?
Density. You are not encouraged to leave the car at home when buildings and facilities are a considerable distance from each other. You probably don’t want to walk a kilometre in one direction to get to the store and then another kilometre in the opposite direction to get to the library.

Street design. Straight-running streets and avenues (a grid pattern) have corners at the end of each block, giving you a choice of four directions to travel in. If you have back lanes as well, you can quickly cut through to meet a friend who lives one block away. Curved streets with cul-de-sacs, on the other hand, can be harder to walk in. There are not as many paths directly connecting one road to another. Sometimes you have to walk a long way to get to a main street that connects you with other cul-de-sacs.

Central meeting areas. A walkable community likely has a park or a playground or community hall, or some similar place for people to gather and be active. There are also many nearby shops and services that residents need: for example, a grocery store, a library, a drugstore and schools.

Ways to help make your community more walkable
Work with your community league to find out about available city groups and programs. For instance, Woodcroft Community in Edmonton has worked with Walkable Edmonton to create a neighbourhood walking map.

If you live in a rural or smaller community with no sidewalks or trails, talk to your town council or health region officials about creating places to walk. Tell your leaders how important it is to promote healthy living.

Create a dialogue with your town council and planners about fixing crumbling sidewalks or curbs that need curb-outs for strollers and wheelchairs. Be informed about town plans that may affect your neighbourhood. Will a new sewer line be installed or a road repaved? If so, ask for designs that make the community more walkable.

Organize a charrette, which is a workshop involving community members and business leaders that results in a plan of action. The outcomes can include both short-term and long-term plans. A charrette might be held:

* in response to news of a plan for development
* to help guide the design of future developments
* to help solve a specific problem

For details and ideas, see the link at the end of this article.
In addition to working with your community, you can take steps as an individual. If you own a property, consider putting a bench out front so people who are walking by can sit and rest. Keep your walks clear of ice and snow in the winter. Perhaps leave an outside light on at night to help walkers feel safer.

Walkable communities are healthy communities because walking is a great way to be physically active. It’s up to you how much walking you include in your day, but it’s up to your community to provide places where it is safe, easy and fun to walk.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

Spring is here. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the snow has melted. What do we see after the snow melts? Garbage. The sight of garbage can spoil your experience of the great outdoors, whether you’re in an urban or rural community. And garbage is just one way we affect the environment. We humans have a huge impact, and often we don’t even realize it.

As you enjoy being active in the great outdoors this summer, remember that the quality of your outdoor adventure depends on your respect for nature and for others.

This article gives you advice on how to reduce your environmental impact so that we can all enjoy activities in the beautiful outdoors for years to come.

Respect all things in the natural world
Respect wildlife. One of the reasons we head into the wilderness is to see animals and plants we don’t see every day. They don’t see us every day either. Be respectful of all wildlife. You can observe them, even photograph them, but don’t disturb them. Remember, you are a guest in their home, so act accordingly.

Leave what you find. Take only pictures. Leave rocks, plants and other natural things as you find them. If you take or disturb things, you may damage a habitat. For example, some plants need the other plants around them to survive. And dead trees aren’t firewood, but homes for woodpeckers and other animals that nest in their cavities.

Leave no trace
Always bring home what you take in. There’s nothing better than travelling to a secluded spot for a picnic or a few days camping. The peace and quiet, the animals and the scenery can be exhilarating. So that others may enjoy the same experience, make sure that you leave nothing behind when you depart. It should be as if you were never there.

Travel on durable surfaces. It’s tempting to take off into the bushes for some real “off-roading,” but that can hurt the very things you appreciate in the great outdoors. Cycling or even hiking in some areas damages the forest floor. It disturbs the ground cover, and that disturbs the wildlife. Off-roading can also erode the soil and damage the root systems of trees and shrubs. Stick to paved paths or existing groomed trails.

Obey signs. Signs are there for a reason. They may be protecting a habitat or an ecosystem. They may also be there for your personal safety, keeping you away from dangers such as an unstable bank or poison ivy.

Go one step further
You’ve heard the term “go the extra mile.” In this case it’s taking a few extra steps to pick up at least one piece of garbage on each journey you take outdoors.

If you’re willing to go an extra mile or two, you can get physically active and clean up at the same time by participating in spring cleanup programs such as:

* the 4-H ditch cleanup
* Capital City Clean Up
* cleanup programs organized by your local community league

Think beyond yourself to the greater good of your community and the environment. Take pride in both and chip in. Lead by example, and think before you act. Ask yourself, “If everyone did what I’m doing, would this trail or park still be as nice?”

As American President Lyndon B. Johnson said upon signing the 1964 Wilderness Act: “If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt… we must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.”

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

There is no single right way to approach workplace wellness programs but winning programs share common success factors. These include commitment from management, employee involvement, adequate resources, and a policy on workplace health that goes hand in hand with the organization’s mission, vision and values.

A Range of Approaches
Although the goal is to eventually have a long-term, comprehensive workplace wellness program, some companies prefer to begin with a single program at a basic level. For example, the first steps could be as simple as offering lunch-hour sessions on first aid or healthy eating; or they could launch a pilot project to find out how interested employees are to ensure employees needs are being met before taking on anything more ambitious. This approach provides a chance to show the impact on employees and the workplace so management will be more willing to consider a larger and more far-reaching strategy.

Other companies plan a variety of initiatives to meet the needs of the different types of people that make up their workforce. And some decide to develop a sound business case, complete with a health strategy, before attempting any type of program. Companies want to ensure that a new program is fully integrated with their overall business vision and mission.

Success Factors
Whether your company chooses to think big from the outset or to start with something smaller, always keep in mind the following key success factors:

• support and participation from management;
• employee involvement in planning;
• programs that meet employee needs;
• a realistic budget; and
• continuous review.

In sports, a game plan is a series of steps that a team must follow to accomplish its goal of winning. Most winning teams plan to win. Organizations also need game plans, even if they don’t call them by that name.

Good planning will help to ensure that your workplace wellness program happens the way you want it to, and that costs can be identified in advance and kept within budget. Good planning prevents small problems from becoming bigger.

Steps in Planning a Program

Obtain management support. You may need to develop a business case to convince managers that workplace wellness is a business strategy—that employee health and job satisfaction affects their productivity. Employees need to see evidence that senior management believes in and is committed to employee health.

Establish a planning committee. Members can include representatives from employee groups as well as from human resources, health and safety, and communications.

Collect information. To prove that your program is beneficial, establish a benchmark before the program begins. You may wish to look at employee satisfaction, absenteeism rates, stress levels, drug costs or WCB expenses. Assess what workplace facilities are available to support employees to make healthy choices such as showers and change areas or a secure place to store a bicycle. Assess employee needs through a survey or questionnaire, suggestion box or focus group. Communicate the results.

Develop the plan to reflect the information gathered. Include program objectives, activities and how you are going to measure whether your objectives were met. Keep the plan flexible. You may have to change direction in response to employee feedback or changes in the company’s structure.

Get management approval. Support for staff time and a budget are needed.

Put activities in place. Offer a variety of activities that create awareness, increase knowledge, develop skills, and provide social interaction. (Activities could include walking clubs, participation in national campaigns such as Workplace Wellness Week, SummerActive, WinterActive, corporate challenge, golf days, and newsletters that provide information about community resources.) Workplaces can also make it easier for employees to make healthy choices by providing flextime to allow employees to fit activity in when it is convenient or by subsidizing programs in cooperation with community or private fitness facilities. A policy on catering for meetings can ensure that healthy foods are offered.

Evaluate the plan. Share your successes with others, learn from your mistakes and modify activities.

A workplace wellness program doesn’t have to be complicated or a huge investment. Just do it. Get support from management, bring a few committed people together to generate some ideas and get started.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

The vast majority of Americans work for companies with fewer than 100 employees.

Can a small business support workplace wellness? Absolutely! In fact, in some ways it is easier to create a healthy workplace in a small company than in a large corporation.

Limited resources, especially in small companies, can prevent an employer from setting up a workplace wellness program. Reasons can include:

* lack of budget resources;
* lack of staff;
* lack of senior-level support;
* little knowledge of the wellness concept and;
* concern about making wellness available to all employees.

According to the Wellness Councils of America, some small business owners may have the wrong idea of what is involved in having a workplace wellness program. Some employers aren’t sure a program would really work and others feel that trying to change personal lifestyle behaviours is intruding and “none of their business”. Perhaps they don’t understand that it doesn’t need to be costly and that they don’t need special staff. They may not realize that some staff would like to see some healthy changes and would help make things happen in their workplace.

It Can Be Done

Many small businesses have found ways to have a workplace wellness program that works for them. They keep the cost and effort to a minimum and still have results that are positive for everyone. In 2006, Graham Lowe wrote a report on the best places to work in Calgary. He said that healthy workplaces often have a “positive workplace culture”. In a workplace with a positive culture, people feel appreciated, valued, and trusted.

Dr. Lowe says it is easier for a small workplace to have a positive workplace culture than for a large workplace. Many employees prefer to work for a small business, he says, because it provides more opportunities to work closely with others and develop a sense of community.

In his report, Dr. Lowe says the most successful companies with fewer than 100 employees have:

* excellent employee benefits;
* policies that promote a balance between work and personal life;
* flexible schedules;
* competitive salaries;
* excellent leadership with an emphasis on teamwork;
* environmentally responsible company policies;
* procedures for seeking employee input; and
* a focus on placing employees’ personal well-being ahead of the personal gain of company leaders.

All or most of these elements are also components of a good workplace wellness program.

Tips and Ideas

There are many ways to include health and wellness in a small business. You don’t necessarily need a wellness professional or a fancy gym. What you do need is support from management and a committee of a few committed people. Here are some ideas that your workplace can consider.

Communications and Promotion

* Send out a regular “wellness” newsletter in hard copy or online. Or send out a simple message such as the weekly Healthy U Hot Tip.
* Use promotions that are already designed such as Healthy Workplace Week.

Active Living and Healthy Eating

* Encourage staff to sign up for the Stairway to Health stair climbing competition.
* Get pedometers for employees and track their steps.
* Rent a nearby school or community gym and offer exercise classes.
* Hire a local fitness instructor to give classes or lead stretch breaks. Costs can be shared with employees.
* Install secure bike parking.
* Serve healthy alternatives at company meetings and lunches.

Policy and Organizational Initiatives

* Hire an ergonomics specialist to assess workstations.
* Develop policies to support work-life balance (for example, mandatory vacations, flextime, limits to work and e-mail on personal time).
* Provide a wellness subsidy for a variety of health and leadership activities and courses.
* Offer financial incentives to be healthy.
* Offer wellness incentives as rewards and recognition for a job well done.
* Conduct an organizational health audit (NQI Healthy Workplace Week).
* Become a partner with the community (for example, daycare, gyms, festivals, parks, restaurants).
* Spread the workload. Set up a wellness committee.

Small businesses may not have a lot of time, money, or human resources available for a workplace wellness program. But they often have a huge advantage over large companies—a positive workplace culture. That is a great foundation for a workplace wellness program. When employees are satisfied, enjoy their work environment, they are more productive, and tend to be healthier. With a little creativity and passion, small businesses can develop successful workplace wellness programs. Get support from management, form a committee of two or more and discover the possibilities!

Source: HealthyAlberta.com