February is Heart Month!

Get started earning your Fit for Life crests and help take care of your heart!

It's the season for love and hearts...so love yourself and take care of your heart! We're sure you've all heard by now that obesity, diet, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a sedentary lifestyle and smoking are some of the main risk factors for heart disease. We at the Provincial Program Department would like to encourage you to take care of your heart and help the girls take care of theirs by participating in our Fit for Life Challenge.

The Fit for Life Challenge is made up of seven categories of activity: physical activity, healthy eating, spiritual wellness, disease and injury prevention, safety, healthy environments and hygiene. Doing activities from each category for a total of ten activities will earn you the crest, which is available at the Guide Shop for $1.25. The crest can be earned by every Member every year she is in Guiding, regardless of whether a Spark, Guide, Pathfinder, Senior Branch Member, Leader or Trefoil Guild Member! It's never too late to begin caring about yourself! The Fit for Life Challenge comes in three different colours, and when put side by side form an interlocking puzzle pattern that will continue growing as long as you continue to work on the challenge...just like your health!

As women, and especially as Guiders, we often take time to help others and neglect ourselves. Have you ever had the experience of grabbing a high-fat, high-carbohydrate easy-to-prepare meal, instead of making a healthier one, simply because you needed to get out the door to attend a meeting? Ever put off exercising so that you could do work you needed to get done for others? Our selflessness is appreciated by others, but in the long run can lead to burnout and an earlier death (gulp!) if we continue to neglect our own health. Our girl members need role models who can show them how to balance volunteer time, home responsibilities, time for personal well-being, and all of the other demands on our time, and who will demonstrate healthy living by example. This is why we are asking leaders to participate in the Fit for Life Challenge. You will be as proud to wear your crests on your poncho as the girls are to wear theirs! (Girl crests may be worn on their uniforms or sashes.)

More resources:
Heart and Stroke Foundation: Find loads of information about heart disease, read heart healthy recipes and take a quiz to see if you know the truth about women and heart disease.

American Heart Association: Click on the "Children's Health" bar at left to find worksheets, songs and games about heart health for kids, or choose "for parents" to learn the top ten ways to help kids develop healthy habits for heart health.

Healthier Generation: A cool web site suitable for Pathfinder-aged girls that includes quizzes, games and fun facts about heart health.

Girls Health: