Tennessee Health
Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN, is leading the charge to help state
employees get fit as the second annual “March to the Moon” fitness challenge
gets underway. All state employees have been challenged to walk 10,000 steps
each day during the month of March in an effort to reach the 240,000 miles to
the moon. Cooper and First Lady Andrea Conte celebrated this year’s wellness
event today by leading state workers in a walk at Bicentennial Capitol Mall
State Park in Nashville.
“March to the Moon was a
huge success last year. State employees were so inspired by this fitness challenge
that many offices created their own walking and fitness clubs that continue to
encourage daily or weekly activity,” said Cooper. “We hope this challenge
encourages all Tennesseans to begin or continue their journey toward improved
personal health."
First Lady Conte, an avid
walker, commended Commissioner Cooper for the efforts of the department and its
staff to improve the health of Tennesseans. Conte and Cooper, both nurses,
encouraged state employees to set an example for the state.
“Today’s walk really shows that you don’t have to join a gym or run a marathon
to be physically active,” Conte said. “It can be as simple as taking a walk on
your lunch break. The important thing is to get regular exercise.”
The March to the Moon
fitness challenge is open to all state employees and is designed as a fun way
to help promote and improve health and fitness. Participants join their
department as a team on the Get Fit Tennessee Web site and log their progress
throughout the month of March on the Fitness Tracker. At the end of the month,
departments will be ranked by the average number of fitness points earned.
In 2009, there were 1,948
participants in the March to the Moon challenge. These state employees walked
the equivalent of a total of 150,320 miles, took 300,640,200 steps and earned
3,006,402 fitness points.
“We’re hoping to get even
closer to the moon in 2010, and ultimately closer to our goal to become a
healthier state,” said Cooper.
You can still sign up for March to the Moon by clicking on the "health and fitness tracker," selecting "individual competitions" and signing up with your department.