Mayor Blair Milo has kicked off another season of Fitness Fridays. Here’s a message from her and some community testimonials in support of this and other Healthy Community initiatives:
Mayor Milo
There are any number of benefits that a healthy community brings to each of its residents. Another season of Fitness Friday is upon us and once again we will be meeting in front of the YMCA at 4:15 pm every Friday through the middle of October. This is a great opportunity to enjoy some Fridays filled with friends and fun, with a little bit of fitness, too!
As I share at all of our public meetings, experts recommend that including 30 minutes of physical activity in your regular routine and some attention towards nutrition greatly reduce the risk of chronic disease. The CDC has reported that chronic disease management makes up around 70% of the trillions of dollars spent in the U.S. on healthcare.
A healthy community makes for happier citizens, but you don’t just have to take my word for it:
Sue Beres
Name the number one leadership quality for a thriving, successful community that a mayor must possess, model and continually foster. Integrity? Charisma? Communication skills? Strategic thinking? Organizational skills?
While we can all do our own research and find data and literature to document that each of these has its own merit and value for effective leadership, the one I most recently stumbled upon highlights an area that is near and dear to my heart and just one more reason to be one of Mayor Blair Milo’s biggest fans. It is physical fitness.
Physical fitness is the key to leadership, and Mayor Milo holds that key.
Physical fitness as a key to leadership?
This theory is supported in many places. First, check out the book, “Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows” by Charles Garcia. When comparing the demands of a leadership position to daily intensive 75-minute exercise drills, success in each, according to General Gallager, is unlocked through self-discipline, being able to perform under pressure, and being able to exist outside one’s comfort zone. Therefore, wouldn’t we all perform better if we engaged in some type of daily physical activity?
Corporate America has always been on the physical fitness-is-the-key-to-leadership bus. The top Fortune 500 companies to work for have health and wellness packages for their employees that include tuition reimbursement, on-site medical care facilities, on-site fitness centers, and discounted gym memberships. Once again, validation that engaging in physical fitness results in stronger leadership skills for employees.
Furthermore, my favorite organization, Girls on the Run, a character development program for young girls, embraces this same philosophy of accomplishment through empowerment; thus using physical fitness as a key to leadership. GOTR documents that youth who take part in physical activity show improvements in self-esteem, eating habits and positive attitudes.
Finally, there are numerous studies that prove working out, exercise, and physical activity all drive us to greater alertness and energy. Simply walking generates blood flow and oxygenates the brain to create more feel-good hormones, positive thinking, and an overall general improved outlook and perspective.
Mayor Milo fortifies and models this importance of a healthy mind, spirit and body.
Fitness Friday and Step-up Saturday are just a couple of her many initiatives to build a better, stronger, more productive LaPorte. Visit her Facebook page any day to stay continually updated on all the facets of local government, including the many opportunities for all our townspeople to take part in physical and wellness activities to foster community involvement.
Most importantly, these are proactive measures that create healthy minds and bodies that prevent drug use. These are proactive measures that increase communication skills so our committees can gain consensus on important issues. These are proactive measures that ignite problem solving skills and widen individual perspectives. It’s about so much more than just going for a jog.
Thank you, Mayor Milo, for highlighting the need for health and wellness awareness engagement in our community.
Thor Thordarson
Blair Milo has been a strong advocate for integrating health and wellness into community action plans from day one as mayor. Those of us who provide care through IU Health LaPorte Hospital, physician offices and outpatient centers know that the transformation of our community starts with the health and well being of all of us. We have been extremely pleased to partner with the City of LaPorte and other community organizations on innovative initiatives such as Fitness Fridays, the Community Garden, and the planning and creation of bike trails in our city. It is very exciting to see our community rally around healthy initiatives, and even more exciting to see that health and happiness is a priority for community leaders and businesses. Our vision is to be among the top 10 healthiest communities by 2030. Together, as a community, we are on the right track!