Ever wrestle with a technology glitch (computer, phone or whatever), call for help and hear, "Oh - that's a hardware problem," or "Can't help you; that's a software problem"? This always reminds me that the two realms must work in sync to be useful. Alone, they're just objects and intentions. Together, they're the lifeblood of modern society.

Think of the National Physical Activity Plan as software. The Plan has no factory, no regional offices, no inventory. None of the eight sectors ships a product. The Plan is vision, strategies and intentions. It doesn't appear in photographs or mirrors (no cause for alarm). Yet, it can transform America.

Giving the Plan life and legs is the hardware - everything from health clubs and schoolyards to trails, teams and group activities. The eight sectors represent every culture and community, with the infrastructure and programming to help all of us to be more physically active, more fit and healthy. The hardware is the tangible stuff - the places, equipment, institutions, and worksites - that implement the strategies and tactics making up the Plan.

Put together, it's marvelous. What music download can raise your aerobic capacity? Does creating a multimedia presentation increase endorphin levels? Has 150 minutes of email a week been shown to prevent and treat chronic diseases? Show me a social media platform that has the potential to cut health care costs for employers, workers and society.

The cloud

Recently, I've become aware of cloud computing - accomplishing tasks through shared resources and processes. Cloud users benefit from an infinitely scalable network while owning only a computer and a connection. Likewise, the National Physical Activity Plan is a great cloud of opportunities and facilities. Uniting what is already under way, from worksite wellness programs and walking clubs to health care counseling and youth sports leagues, the Plan comprises a great network of opportunities to meet the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines. As we implement the Plan, we're building a super-network that reaches into every neighborhood in the U.S., bringing the hope of fitness and better health to each of us.

That's enough analogy for one sitting. Time to get up and move for a while - if only I can get my computer to talk to the printer...

 If there is a magic marketing scheme or program to induce greater levels of physical activity for all children and adolescents, it will likely be found in the same location as the fountain of youth.  More likely, we will increase physical activity levels through the convergence of several messages and signals about the importance of exercise.  Those messages may come from a variety of sources, including parents, siblings, friends, television, the internet, etc.

Activity habits begin at an early age, so the messages from parents can be critical.  Active parents = active kids.  But how to get busy working parents more active when they already feel strapped for time?

On September 13th, I had the opportunity to attend an event that holds great promise for increasing physical activity rates among employees and, in turn, changing the message that the children of employees are receiving from their parents about the importance of physical activity.

The CEO Pledge, a key component of the country’s first-ever National Physical Activity Plan, was launched at the HERO Forum in Phoenix, Arizona—the annual conference of the Health Enhancement Research Organization that draws a large audience of professionals committed to the improvement of employee health management. Chief Executive Officers who take the pledge will vow to improve employee health and wellness by producing opportunities and resources for physical activity before, during, or after the workday.

“The National Physical Activity Plan is inspiring action by leaders from multiple disciplines, creating an historic movement to increase physical activity among all Americans,” said Dave Pickering, a strategy leader for the Plan and CEO of Preventure. “Today, the CEOs of America’s businesses—both large and small—were asked to pledge their commitment to the betterment of their companies and employees, and to become part of the solution to our nation’s health care challenges.”

The text of the pledge reads:
For the betterment of my company, our employees, their families, and our country, I pledge to improve employee health and wellness by providing opportunities and resources for physical activity before, during or after the workday.

CEOs who take the pledge will be encouraged to share best practices to help create a national culture of physical activity supported by worksites.

Notably, the launch of the CEO Pledge occurred on the heels of research by Church et al. asserting that Americans are now far less active at the worksite than in previous decades.  Proponents of the Pledge are quick to point to the business benefits of a more physically active workforce. 

The CEO Pledge is also good for families.  We know that physically active moms and dads can have a heavy influence on the activity levels of their kids.  And we know that physically active kids can influence their parents, creating a wonderfully reinforcing environment for healthy lifestyles.

Do you know of a CEO that might be willing to sign the CEO Pledge? 

Safe and effective places for physical activity - such as bike paths, green space and fitness centers - are only half of the equation when it comes to establishing an active community culture. The other half is creating opportunities for community members to take advantage of the active infrastructure. And creating those opportunities, at a time when sedentary forces are overwhelming our cultural norms, is largely a function of policymaking.

There's a role, of course, for national/state/local policymakers, but there is also an emerging, and very encouraging consensus that worksite policies promoting physical activity are critical to building healthier communities.

A recent study published by the PLoS One Journal underscored the importance of worksite policies encouraging physical activity and drew a direct connection to the obesity epidemic. The study found that "over the last 50 years in the U.S. we estimate that daily occupation-related energy expenditure has decreased by more than 100 calories, and this reduction in energy expenditure accounts for a significant portion of the increase in mean U.S. body weights for women and men."

In other words, we've become less active at work and the decrease in activity has had a measurable impact on our nation's obesity rate.

Barbara E. Ainsworth, the president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine and an exercise researcher at Arizona State University, described the findings as a "lightbulb, 'aha' moment."

"I think occupational activity is part of that missing puzzle that is so difficult to measure, and is probably contributing to the inactivity and creeping obesity that we're seeing over time," added Ainsworth.

Fortunately, it appears that corporate America is tightening its embrace of the benefits of a physically fit workforce. The Washington Post, for example, recently reported on a Mercer study finding that the "number of companies with 20,000 or more employees that provided fitness centers, subsidies or discounts grew by 11 percent from a year earlier." The same article noted that a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that "the proportion of companies offering gym benefits has held steady since 2007. During the same period, many employers were paring retirement and other financial benefits because of the recession."

As has been discussed in previous posts, the National Physical Activity Plan is leading the movement toward a more physically active nation, with a particular focus on harnessing the power of the business and industry sectors to transform the health of our communities and nation's approach to wellness. In the coming months, the National Plan is expected to generate a CEO Pledge for executives dedicated to providing physical activity opportunities for employees, as well as best practices resources for creating an organizational environment that supports physical activity. I look forward to providing updates in this space as they become available.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear from folks who have implemented corporate physical activity programs. What's worked? What hasn't?