ARLINGTON, Va. - The Army National Guard (ARNG) announced the expansion of its strategic alliance with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) at the Army National Guard Readiness Center during a recent media event highlighting its efforts to become a Start! Fit Friendly worksite by the end of 2007.
Start! is the AHA's groundbreaking national movement that calls on all Americans and their employers to create a culture of physical activity and health to live longer, heart-healthy lives through walking.
Promoting physical activity through workplace walking programs can help employees reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke and lead longer, stronger, healthier lives.
The Army Guard is launching this effort to magnify its successful 2007 blood pressure awareness campaign, Get Cuffed!, as well as to support its upcoming 2008 weight management campaign, Lighten Up! both in partnership with the AHA.
The Decade of Health Program is a 10-year strategic outreach campaign promoting a healthy military force by emphasizing the central message, "Always Ready, Always There, Always Healthy."
"The entire nation is focused on preventing and reducing health risks in the general population, and so is the Army National Guard. That's why we developed the Decade of Health Program to provide a targeted media outreach that includes an emphasis on health literacy in addressing critical wellness issues related to deployment and quality of life for our Soldiers today," said Col. David Sproat, the Army Guard's chief surgeon.
"The 2007 blood pressure campaign 'Get Cuffed!' is proving to be extremely successful in bringing awareness about this silent killer to thousands of Citizen- Soldiers and their families," he said. "We will pursue these same goals as we launch the 2008 campaign for healthy weight management."
Brisk walking for 30 minutes on most, or preferably all days can increase good cholesterol (HDL), lower blood pressure, reduce stress and can help attain and maintain a healthy body weight.
"The American Heart Association is honored to continue our alliance with the Army National Guard's Decade of Health program, and we applaud their efforts to provide Soldiers and civilian employees at the Arlington work site with the tools they need to maintain good cardiovascular health," said Dr. Daniel Jones, AHA president, the Herbert G. Langford professor of Medicine, and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi.
The Decade of Health includes a multi-faceted media and outreach approach and is offered to Soldiers and their families via print, Web, direct mail, and broadcast media. Visit www.decadeofhealth.com for additional information. Oral health awareness and dental readiness was selected as the Decade of Health 2006 focus, and awareness of high blood pressure is the 2007 campaign.
About the Army National Guard
The Army National Guard consists of Soldiers who dedicate a portion of their time to serving their nation, state, and local community. Army Guard Soldiers in every state and territory fall under the authority of the governor unless the Soldiers are activated under presidential authority. For more information about the Army National Guard, visit www.nationalguard.mil, the National Guard Bureau's public Website.
About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to reducing disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. These diseases, America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, claim about 870,000 lives a year. In fiscal year 2005-06, the association invested over $543 million in research, professional and public education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit www.americanheart.org