How to Make Space for Physical Activity

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Physical activity can help raise a healthier generation of kids in San Antonio, where there is high risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Complete streets, playful neighborhoods, and greenways are a few new ways to help create opportunities for physical activity, according to a new article in The Rivard Report by Amanda Merck of Salud America!, a national Latino childhood obesity prevention network funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and based at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Merck suggests the city connect with groups that are already working to make the healthy choice the easy choice.

For example, she suggests the Active Living Council of San Antonio—a public-private partnership of policymakers, business leaders, school officials, program providers, and community members who developed the Active Living Plan for a Healthier San Antonio. The plan has new, relevant strategies that can unite eight key sectors of society: business, education, healthcare, mass media, public health, volunteer and non-profit groups, parks, recreation, fitness and sports, and transportation, land use and community design.

“When stakeholders across various sectors of society address the strategies and tactics in the plan, they can initiate and support policies, funding, and programs to increase physical activity across the entire city,” Merck wrote

Merck’s article is part of a new series to highlight challenges and solutions to Latino health and obesity by online The Rivard Report and Salud America!.

Check out past articles in the series:

Salud America! Keeping Latino Children Fit and Healthy

Stay tuned for more articles!