Community Gyms Coalition Launches Fitness is Essential Campaign
Together with the White House Conference on Hunger, Health and Nutrition, the “Fitness is Essential” campaign aims to foster physical activity and fitness and ensure that all Americans understand that “Fitness is Essential”
The Community Gyms Coalition (CGC), represents more than 15,000 community gyms and fitness facilities across the U.S., and serves over 25 million members. Today, CGC announced the launch of its Fitness is Essential campaign, which will educate Americans about the profoundly positive impact physical and mental well-being can have on communities and individuals.
Through the campaign, CGC members will enable increased access to resources like free day passes or consultations about fitness goals and participants’ body intelligence. Members will also raise awareness about the steps policymakers and community leaders can take to encourage physical activity and fitness in communities across the country. The campaign will augment and reinforce the Department of Health and Human Services’ Move Your Way® campaign, the goal of which is to help people live healthier lives through increased physical activity based on Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans’ second edition.
It’s no secret that regular exercise can prevent or alleviate chronic diseases and mental health conditions. However, during the pandemic, negative public health outcomes like weight gain increased, while physical activity decreased. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular exercise can reduce the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, and significantly improve depression and anxiety.
“There are a lot of lessons to be learned from our recent health crises, and it’s clear that there needs to be a much stronger focus on how we enable all Americans to become physically active and fit. We can no longer afford to neglect the mental and physical health of our nation. Tens of millions of Americans depend on it,” said Dale King, owner of PSKC CrossFit in Portsmouth, Ohio.
As a hub for public outreach, FitnessIsEssential.org will share information to raise awareness about why fitness is essential for overall health and wellbeing. The CGC includes well-known brands like Anytime Fitness, CrossFit, Orangetheory Fitness, and Planet Fitness. The CGC invites all gyms across the nation to offer their own commitments to supporting physical activity and wellness for all.
“Fitness is Essential is about joining forces to make it easier for Americans to get active, fit and healthy” said King. “More than 40 percent of American adults are obese and are at higher risk of developing chronic diseases. More than 1 in 4 Americans are living with a mental illness. These can seem like overwhelming issues that don’t have a one size fits all solution. But regular exercise has been irrefutably proven to help with a range of mental and physical conditions. It’s a surefire way of improving people’s lives.”
Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash