Health Heart activities for all the family
8 May 2008
Finding activities which appeal to all family members can sometimes be a challenge – and it’s one that has been taken up by Western District Health Service for Health Heart Week.
WDHS is leading the way promoting healthy activities for 
all the family during Healthy Heart Week from May 4 to May 10, bringing innovation and a good deal of fun to Heart Health through walking and dancing!
The theme for Heart Week 2008 is “Active Families Healthy Lives”, and the Heart Foundation wants to achieve this by asking parents to “encourage your kids to be active for at least 60 minutes every day”.
WDHS Community Health Nurse Cathy Armstrong said it was important to tackle heart disease as a family issue.
“Two out of three Australian families are affected by heart disease, and as a result, Heart Week is all about getting parents to get active with their children,” she said.
Ms Armstrong has combined her efforts with WDHS Go For Your Life Project Officer Fran Patterson to provide activities during Heart Week to promote physical activity in different ways.
She said WDHS, The Hamilton Walkers and George Street Primary School have joined to raise awareness of the importance of activity during this year’s Heart Week.
They have organised a walk which will bring together a wide range of age groups, to reinforce the message that exercise can include all family members.
The walk from the George Street school involving the entire school community, Hamilton Walking Group, Cathy Armstrong and Fran Patterson has been organised for Monday May 5, starting at 9.30am.
Ms Armstrong said the Heart Foundation was providing further valuable information to support their Healthy Families theme, including a booklet - Healthy ideas for Young Hearts.
The booklet contains practical ideas for parents and carers including:
- Healthy eating for growing kids
- Stuck for meal and snack ideas?
- Cooking at home
- Helpful hints for happy meal times
- The Heart Foundation Tick and kids
- Fun and physical activity
- Need some ideas for activities for Kids?
- Why does matter for kids?
For more information contact Cathy Armstrong on 5551 8450, call the Heart Foundation 1300362787, visit www.heartfoundation.org.au or email heartline@heartfoundation.org.au
ABOVE: WDHS, The Hamilton Walkers and George Street Primary School have joined to raise awareness of the importance of activity during this year’s Heart Week.
They organised a walk which will bring together a wide range of age groups, to reinforce the message that exercise can include all family members.
