Family, work, and other duties make moving more and eating better a challenge for all of us. But improving our health is worth the effort, and having someone to get us started can help! We all need a role model in our community or family to be a HEALTH CHAMPION and show us that healthy habits can be part of our daily routine. Here are things you can do to be a health champion:

What does your healthy look like? Start a conversation about healthy eating.

• TAKE A PICTURE of a healthy meal you’re about to eat, and text it to friends or post it on your Facebook page to inspire others.
• START AN EMAIL, FACEBOOK, OR IN-PERSON GROUP and share healthy recipes or ways to make favorite dishes healthier by cutting down on fat, sugar, and salt.
• USE A BASKET INSTEAD OF A CART at the grocery store. This may help you get only what you need.
• SHARE A MEAL when eating out. This may help you and those around you manage portions and stay on track.
• CHECK THE MENU for terms and icons that indicate healthy items, such as low-fat, low-calorie dishes.

Grab a friend, get active, and be healthy.

• CHOOSE AEROBIC ACTIVITIES that are fun, like biking, walking, or playing soccer with friends. Aerobic activities make your heart beat faster and make you sweat. Making exercise fun may show others that being active doesn't have to be boring.
• MAKE EVERY STEP COUNT. If you work in an office, walk to your coworker’s office instead of making a phone call or sending an email.
• ADD MOVEMENT TO YOUR DAILY LIFE. Choose parking spots that are farther away from where you are going and walk the last few blocks. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. (Make sure you are in safe and well-lit places.)
• BE ACTIVE WITH OTHERS. Having an activity partner or group may make exercise more fun and help you stay interested in being active.Photo source: Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity

Keep it up! Stick with your healthy habits.

• TRACK BARRIERS that keep you and your family and friends from moving more and eating better. When you meet or talk, discuss the barriers each person faced and what everyone did to overcome them.
• MAKE IT A TEAM EFFORT. Share words of support with your friends and loved ones. Meet up for fun, active events like hikes, basketball games, and dance parties. Take turns hosting healthy potlucks.
• MAKE A FLYER with these tips to hand out at family events or post around your community.
• PROMOTE AND POST TIPS on healthy eating and physical activity to Facebook or Twitter, or as your signature tagline when sending an email. Add tips from friends and family members to keep them excited about getting healthier.
• EXPAND YOUR ROLE as health champion. Set up a Sisters Together program at your place of worship, community center, or workplace. Check out the Sisters Together Program Guide to get started:  http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/sisterstogether.htm.
• POST LINKS to WIN’s booklets, brochures, fact sheets, and flyers to Facebook, Twitter, or your blog or other website. You can download these materials for free at  http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications.
• LIKE WIN ON FACEBOOK to join the conversation about being a health champion, find out about updates to our publications, and get ideas about how to eat better, move more, and stay at a healthy weight throughout the year.

Contact WIN
win@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov http://www.