61 Club Good Health Challenge

Teaming up with the Columbus Dispatch Newspapers in Education program, #61 Rick Nash, is encouraging kids throughout Central Ohio to make good choices and develop healthy habits.

Each season Elementary and Middle Schoolers can download a healthy habits scorecard (below), keep track of their healthy choices for one month, and return the cards to the Blue Jackets to receive 2 tickets to a Jackets home game in the 61 Club section, 2 61 Club t-shirts, and a chance to host Rick Nash at their school!

Congratulations to Immaculate Conception School - 2010 winners of the Rick Nash school visit!  View video of the visit.

Download the 2010-2011 61 Club Good Health Challenge Scorecard

How It Works:
1) Download the Scorecard
2) Make 61 healthy choices over a month's period of time and keep track of them on the Scorecard
3) Send the completed Scorecard to the Blue Jackets by Friday, January 21, 2011
4) Blue Jackets will send tickets, t-shirt vouchers, and a letter from Rick to participants mailing address
5) Enjoy a Blue Jackets game in the 61 Club!

Notes from Rick:
My teammates and I know that it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle both on and off the ice. Sometimes it is hard to make healthy choices, but I want to help you set and reach that goal!
You can start down the road to great physical shape and a better diet by making small changes in your lifestyle. In fact, if you make just one or two small healthy choices a day in the next two months, I guarantee you will feel better, have a great sense of accomplishment, and make healthy habits for the rest of your life!

You know, making healthy choices helps you feel and perform better – whether it is acing a test, scoring a goal or winning a big game! All of these accomplishments start with one or two simple, healthy decisions per day! Once you start, make sure you keep going in order to develop good habits that will last your lifetime. For me, practicing healthy habits is like practicing for a hockey game. You need to stick with it to achieve your GOALS!

I picked 30 days because that’s how long it takes us to turn a choice into a habit. If you make two healthy choices a day for 30 days, on Day 31, you’re going to make two more healthy choices out of habit. As in, good habit. How cool is that? Establishing a healthy habit is as easy as making two healthy choices a day for 30 days.

And when I say “healthy,” I’m not just talking about diets. I mean choosing to eat good foods that give your body the energy it needs – like protein and lots of fruits and vegetables. And pair that with activity. I don’t mean long, heavy workouts, either. When I was training this summer, my workouts lasted about two hours a day. I lifted weights three times a week and ran track two times a week.

When it comes to lifting weights, you don’t need fancy equipment. You can start by lifting cans of vegetables – before you eat them! If you do that, you’re not only doing something good for yourself and your body. You’re also setting a good example for your siblings, and maybe for your friends. As the Captain of the Blue Jackets, I have to set a good example.

It’s important that older players help younger players understand the importance of off ice training and exercise. The best way to do that is lead by example. As Captain, you have to set the stage for the work ethic at practices and games since everyone’s watching. My biggest thing is I lead by example. You can do the same. By making two healthy choices a day, you’re setting an example for your siblings and friends.

You’re showing them what it means to be the Captain of your own health.

Here are a few helpful hints to get you started:
• For your first exercise, challenge a friend at school to a race during recess. Then do it again on Day 61 and see how you’ve improved.
• Judy Dodd, a nutritionist for Giant Eagle, offers a great tip: Eat breakfast! Start the day with the energy your brain needs to think and your body needs to be active. If you can’t eat at home, carry a whole-grain snack bar or fruit with you to eat on the way to school.
• Choose healthy snacks: Make it a piece of fruit or chopped-up veggies and salsa instead of a bag of chips, low-fat milk or water instead of pop. String cheese, peanut butter and crackers, or nuts are good, too.
• Don’t skip meals! That sets you up to eat too much later.
• Build your own pyramid of favorite healthy foods, and eat them often. Go to mypyramid.gov for ideas
• Make new food choices. Grab an apple or a banana instead of a candy bar or a cookie. Drink non-fat milk or water instead of pop.
• Get moving. Walk your dog, or walk the mall. Play street hockey, basketball or football with friends instead of watching TV. Get at least 30 minutes of activity each day.
• Exercising for at least 20 minutes a day can help you develop better math skills. Exercise improves brain functioning.
• When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins that make you feel happier.
• Obesity levels are lowest among people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
· Climb stairs instead of using elevators or escalators.
• Ride bikes or walk whenever you can. You only need to plan your day a little better and you will save money and help the environment.
• Walking the dog is a good way of improving your fitness, and your dog will love it, too.
• When you get a break, go for a walk with a friend instead of sitting down and talking – you can talk while you walk.
• Play a game of soccer, hacky sack, frisbee, baseball or basketball (or any other game) during your lunch break.
• Play sports, even if you don’t think you are very good at sports. You can learn as you go, and it can be a lot of fun.
• Dance with your friends (or by yourself!)
• Look for activities around your neighborhood. Are there tennis courts, or parks to visit? A skateboard ramp, cycling trails, or any open area where you can practice skills alone or play games with friends?
• You burn fewer calories watching TV than you do sitting still!
• TV commercials urge viewers to eat. The average American child sees 10,000 TV commercials a year. Approximately 9,500 of these are for one of four types of food: fast foods, soft drinks, sugar-coated cereals, and candy.
• Too much TV can prevent kids from developing the skills and love of sports that make physical activity enjoyable.

Have fun and be creative! The best exercises are the ones you don’t even realize you're doing