Alliance for a Healthier Generation Challenges Nation to #Commit2Ten More Minutes of Physical Activity a Day

(NEW YORK) August 17, 2015 – To spread the word about the lack of physical activity across the country and inspire Americans to get moving, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (the Alliance) is launching #Commit2Ten, a social media campaign challenging the nation to add 10 more minutes of physical activity to its daily routine during the month of September.

Almost 80% of adults in America do not get the recommended amount of exercise each week, while only 1 in 3 children is physically active each day. Through #Commit2Ten, the Alliance invites individuals, families, schools, afterschool programs, companies and communities to prove that a little more physical activity makes a big difference.

“Daily physical activity is an essential component of healthy living and we should be doing more of it – not less,” says Dr. Howell Wechsler CEO of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. “We all can find 10 more minutes a day to prioritize our health and the health of the next generation.”

Regular physical activity not only helps control weight but improves energy, mood and sleep and increases one’s chances of living longer. A 165 pound adult can burn approximately 37 calories in 10 minutes doing moderate cardiovascular activity, such as a brisk walk. If that person joins #Commit2Ten and adds 10 minutes of activity each day for a year as part of a healthy lifestyle, he or she could burn the calories in almost 4 pounds.

After his heart surgery in 2004, President Clinton decided to do something to help children live healthier lives. So, in 2005 the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association partnered to address one of the most important issues facing the United States, childhood obesity, which can lead to grave health consequences. The result of that partnership, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, is celebrating 10 years of creating healthier environments for more than 20 million children across the country.

As part of the Alliance’s 10-year anniversary celebration, more than 25 campaign partners are joining the Alliance in making a commitment to physical activity and inspiring a healthier generation of kids.

#Commit2Ten campaign partners include the founders of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation.

By Kids for Kids is the campaign website partner and Sworkit is the campaign content partner.

Media partners include Nickelodeon, Woman’s Day and WWE.

Celebrity voices include Bonnie Bernstein, Jillian Michaels, Joy Bauer, Lorena Garcia, Rachael Ray, Reed Alexander and Tara Stiles.

Promotional partners include American Council on Exercise, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, ChildObesity180, Fuel Up to Play 60, Greatist, Kaiser Permanente, Let’s Move! Active Schools, National Recreation and Park Association, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, SHAPE America and the Wasserman Foundation.

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About the Alliance for a Healthier Generation

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation, empowers kids to develop lifelong, healthy habits. The Alliance works with schools, companies, community organizations, healthcare professionals and families to build healthier environments for millions of children. To learn more and join the movement, visit HealthierGeneration.org. 

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Clinton Foundation
The Clinton Foundation convenes businesses, governments, NGOs, and individuals to improve global health and wellness, increase opportunity for girls and women, reduce childhood obesity, create economic opportunity and growth, and help communities address the effects of climate change. Because of our work, more than 29,000 American schools are providing kids with healthy food choices in an effort to eradicate childhood obesity; more than 85,000 farmers in Malawi, Rwanda, and Tanzania are benefiting from climate-smart agronomic training, higher yields, and increased market access; more than 33,500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions are being reduced annually across the United States; over 350,000 people have been impacted through market opportunities created by social enterprises in Latin America, the Caribbean, and South Asia; through the independent Clinton Health Access Initiative, 9.9 million people in more than 70 countries have access to CHAI-negotiated prices for HIV/AIDS medications; 75 million people are benefiting from disease prevention efforts and investments in the U.S.; and members of the Clinton Global Initiative community have made more than 3,200 Commitments to Action, which have improved the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180 countries. Learn more at www.clintonfoundation.org, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ClintonFoundation and on Twitter @ClintonFdn.