APRIL IS NATIONAL MINORITY HEALTH MONTH

OMH Announces Active & Healthy Challenge for National Minority Health Month

As part of its observance of National Minority Health Month in April, the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today launched the Active & Healthy Challenge. The purpose of the challenge is to encourage individuals, especially racial and ethnic minorities, to work physical activity into their daily and weekly schedules. The challenge is co-sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Health’s Bureau of Minority Health Access.

The Active & Healthy Challenge is designed to support the newly released Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAGs) and the Move Your Way campaign from the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Teams will compete in the month-long challenge by logging their physical activity (e.g. brisk walking, running, biking, dancing or swimming) and converting the activities into steps. The challenge is also open to individuals. 

The new PAGs recommend that everyone move more and sit less throughout the day. Adults need at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week with muscle-strengthening activities two or more days a week. Children and adolescents ages six to 17 should do 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day and muscle-strengthening at least three days a week. Preschool-aged children, ages three through five, should be physically active throughout the day to enhance growth and development.

The challenge will begin April 1, 2019 and end at midnight ET on April 30, 2019.