Get your free shovel! If you’re willing to help shovel Traverse City sidewalks and intersections this winter, Norte and Northern Building Supply will provide you with a free shovel through the new Clear Path to Health program. Aimed at promoting safety, good health and accessibility during the winter months in Northern Michigan, they’ve expanded last year’s Great Shovel Experiment to encourage […]
Healthy Schools Initiative
he Traverse City Track Club Healthy Schools – Run to Fitness initiative encourages elementary aged school kids from the area to participate in Fun Runs to earn a chance to win a grant to support their school’s physical education program. Schools with the most registered student participants are eligible for the Healthy School Award, a […]
Up North Love – Cooking for Community
We recently met a young man who is making a difference in his community, one meal at a time. Nathan Russell is ten years old and a fifth grader at Willow Hill Elementary School in Traverse City, and he’s already dreaming of a life combining two growing passions: cooking and helping others. Once or twice […]
Candy Drop-Off Program Helps Parents Promote Healthier Habits
Munson Healthcare and the Northern Michigan Diabetes Initiative(NDMI) are partnering for the sixth consecutive year to promote healthier Halloween habits while providing the sweet satisfaction of giving back. Trick-or-treaters, parents and candy givers are encouraged to donate a portion of their stash or leftover candy to their community locations November 1–5. The collected candy will be donated […]
Cootie Catcher Activity
Here’s a fun activity project that promotes movement. Print it as a two-sided document, cut it out, and follow the directions on folding and you’ll have a cootie catcher! 875 Cootie Catcher
Building a Child-Focused Health and Wellness Culture in Northern Michigan
Shape Up North (SUN) is a regional collaborative dedicated to helping our communities achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Coordinated by Munson Medical Center (MMC), the overall goal of this project is to change the culture for elementary school aged children to one of health, wellness and fitness by focusing on children’s’ sphere of influence […]
TBAISD Farm to School
During the 2017–2018 school year, the TBAISD Farm to School team partnered with nine area elementary schools. And at each school, they developed action plans for district needs. While each were different, they all revolved around one like-minded concept: promoting student health and wellness through engaging activities. These activities were centered around nutrition, fresh foods, and local […]
How to Make Exercise Part of Your Daily Routine—Without the Gym
Your workout doesn’t have to include treadmills or dumbbells. Try these simple ways to make exercise part of your daily routine. I woke up one morning and, for the first time, decided to walk to work. The route took me a mile along West Grand Traverse Bay, and then when I reached the city limits […]
FitKids 360
FitKids360 is a free healthy lifestyle program with the ultimate goal of fighting childhood obesity. The program was developed in 2010 by a team of pediatricians, social workers, dieticians and exercise specialists out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Together they designed a comprehensive program that combines basic education about nutrition, behavior and exercise with a wide […]
TED Talk – Jamie Oliver, Chef and Activist shares how food can change lives
Sharing powerful stories from his anti-obesity project in Huntington, West Virginia — and a shocking image of the sugar we eat — TED Prize winner Jamie Oliver makes the case for an all-out assault on our ignorance of food.