13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Getting active with the Indianapolis Colts
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Fishers - The Colts want Hoosier families to be active 60 minutes a day for six weeks. It's called the "Play 60 Challenge," and it gets started Tuesday.
The NFL started the challenge in 2007, but it's officially kicking off in Central Indiana at the Fishers YMCA Tuesday at 6:00 pm.
The Colts, American Heart Association, and YMCA of Greater Indianapolis are all behind the program with a goal of engaging young people in 12 million minutes of activity over the next six weeks.
Why the fitness challenge?
Nearly one in three Americans ages 2-19 are overweight or obese and that ratio is even higher in Indiana.
"Families are really struggling with this issue. So, if we spotlight it, if we focus on it, if we engage our members, we had 185,000 people we served last year in Central Indiana, and we're hopeful they will get the message," Larry Smith , YMCA of Greater Indianapolis.
You can pick up an activity book at any of the YMCA's nine branches or 108 after-schools programs, keep track of your physical accomplishments each day and if you compete in the challenge, you get a chance to win Colts prizes, a super bowl trophy visit and game tickets.
YMCA staff can help you get started, the Colts will help inspire you as role models.
Running Backs Donald Brown and Mike Hart, Kicker Pat McAfee, and DB Jamie Silva will be at Tuesday night's event.
"Sometimes when kids can see a message relayed from someone they look up to and they're watching every Sunday and cheering on, they take that to heart and they really embrace it. So, it will be a mix of encouraging kids to be active, but then also saying, this is how I was active when I was young, here are some things that I did and then interacting with them in some of those activities after we kind of announce the launch,"Stephanie Mathes, Indianapolis Colts.
You don't have to go to the gym and workout everyday to complete the challenge.
It can be fun like a game, or as easy as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, riding a bike,
walking, even playing on the floor with your kids.
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