Physical Activity

The Challenge
Although Maine is one of the world's great outdoor playgrounds, many folks in the Healthy Casco Bay region don't live very physically active lives. A lack of physical activity, coupled with poor nutrition, leads to obesity, and obesity is associated with a wide range of serious health conditions. And Mainers in the Healthy Casco Bay region and across the state are experiencing the results of a sedentary lifestyle.

According to local research:
 • Over half-51.3%--of Cumberland County residents live a "sedentary" lifestyle, and are not getting even 20 minutes of leisure time
   physical activity 3 or more days a week. (source: Maine BRFSS data, 1996-2000)
 • More than 66% of the population of Maine is failing to get ANY kind of "regular and sustained vigorous physical activity," whether
  at work or play. (Source: "Obesity in Maine," Dora Mills, MD, MPH, 2007).

The problem will extend into the future. Among High School kids:
 • 93% do not attend daily physical education classes
 • 23% watch three or more hours of TV per day on an average school day
 • 22% used a computer for fun or video games for at least three hours per day

Partly as a result of this sedentary lifestyle, Maine (like the rest of the US) is experiencing an "obesity epidemic." According to Dr. Dora Mills, director of the Maine CDC, in her presentation "Obesity in Maine, May 2007":
 • Obesity rates have risen 100% in only 17 years (from 12% of Mainers in 1990 to 26% in 2006).
 • Currently, one in five Mainers is obese.
 • Overweight rates are also rising in Maine.
 • Together, 59% of Maine people are either overweight or obese. This is similar to national self-reported data. Therefore, this is
   analogous to two-thirds of Mainers probably being overweight and obese.
 • About 25% of Maine high school students are overweight.
 • 36% of Maine kindergartners have BMI in the 85th percentile.

What Healthy Casco Bay is Doing
Healthy Casco Bay has a commitment to getting more Mainers in its service region active!

 • Bike/Ped Promotion and Education at Casco Bay YMCA, area schools, LL Bean.
 • March into May-our web-based activity program. www.marchintomay.org
 • Providing technical assistance for Falmouth Conservation Corps, a group dedicated to creating more walking trails in Falmouth
 • Providing Mini-grants to 3 Schools to promote physical activity initiatives
 • Developing bicycling programs for schools and community centers.
 • Teaching Child Care centers about the need to provide physical activity at their programs
 • Promoting and providing technical assistance for the 5210 program in SAU 15
 • Developing a series of activity events for the 45+ set

Physical Activity Resources
 • American Heart Association , information about heart attack/stroke warning signs and prevention.
 • www.letsgo.org, home of the 5210 Goes to School Program, a site with great information and strategies for promoting activity
   and nutrition to school age kids.
 • Bicycle Coalition of Maine , information about safety, education and access for biking.
 • Healthy Maine Walks Registry , information about finding and using walking trails.
 • Kids Walk to School, a national program that encourages children to increase the physical activity by walking to and from school.
 • Verb, a national program with an interactive website geared at tweens (9-13 year olds) encouraging them to choose their "verb,"
  or to engage in whatever form of physical activity they find fun, including play!
 • Maine in Motion, Governor John Baldacci's initiative to increase Mainers' physical activity.
 • Kidnetic, a fun website for kids about exercising and nutrition. This site also provides some fun, healthy recipes kids can
  make with an adult.
 • WinterKids, a great program that gets kids active in the winter by working closely with schools. This is a great site for
  school administrators, teachers and parents.

Community Youth/School Health Programs
 • www.letsgo.org, home of the 5210 Goes to School Program, a site with great information and strategies for promoting
  activity and nutrition to school age kids.
 • CDC guidelines for school health programs to promote lifelong healthy eating
 • Maine Coordinating School Health Programs, Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services website
   to explain 8 components of CSH programs.
 • Maine Youth Action Network trains, supports, connects and advocates for youth organized to effect positive change through
   school and community-based peer programs.