June is Great Outdoors Month and Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well is encouraging the community to experience healthy, active outdoor family fun in the great outdoors.
Public and private organizations from across the country are coming together as members of the Great Outdoors Month Council to help all Americans “Escape the Indoors” and celebrate the educational, economic, health and social benefits of active fun outdoors.
“We’re inviting Americans to ‘Escape the Indoors’ during the month of June and throughout the year to disconnect from their hectic lives and take in all the wonderful things nature has to offer,” said Great Outdoors Month Council Chairman Frank Peterson.
According to the council, kids a generation ago spent more than four hours a day outside; now, it’s less than 40 minutes per week. Being outside has a multitude of health benefits: Children who engage in active fun outdoors are more likely to be physically fit, have better eyesight, improved cognitive development and more.
“Don’t let the lazy days of summer keep you from reaching your health goals,” said Patricia Mitchell, community outreach coordinator at Get Healthy, Live Well. “There are plenty of opportunities in west Georgia to get outside and enjoy all the great outdoors has to offer.”
You can take advantage of Carrollton’s bike-share program to explore the Carrollton GreenBelt or take a trip to the farmers’ market. Tanner Health System, Southwire, the University of West Georgia and the city of Carrollton partnered with Friends of the Carrollton GreenBelt to bring the national bike-sharing company Zagster to west Georgia. To sign up, visit www.zagster.com/carrollton.
You can also spend the summer exploring west Georgia’s parks and walking trails. To find out where you can hike, run, walk, swim and more, check out Get Healthy, Live Well’s interactive map at GetHealthyLiveWell.org. Just click on the “Get Fit” menu and select “Parks and Trails.”
National events being held this month include National Fishing and Boating Week, National Get Outdoors Day, National Marina Day, the Great Outdoors National Day of Service and the Great American Campout. More information about Great Outdoors Month and events taking place across America can be found at www.greatoutdoorsmonth.org. To request more information about Get Healthy, Live Well and its programs, email gethealthy@tanner.org.