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Booklet to inspire local, affordable exercise

JANESVILLE — More than half of Rock County adults are overweight or obese.

That's according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Now that county health officials have that information, what can be done about it?

A little help could come in the form of a 59-page booklet called "Get Active in Rock County."

The booklet features inexpensive, fun ways to get parents and kids moving and exercising in the county, said Mary Krisco, the director of the Rock County Cooperative Extension's Wisconsin Nutrition Education Program.

"The most useful thing we could do is get parents thinking about physical exercise in the same way they think about vaccinations," Krisco said. "Kids have to have their shots, and they have to have an hour of play a day."

The booklet, which will be printed this week, is a joint project by the extension and Nutrition and Health Associates, the non-profit organization that runs WIC in Rock County.

In the next week or so, the booklet will be available in pediatricians' offices, schools and libraries around the county. An electronic version of the booklet will be available online.

The first version came out in 2005 and was popular, said Krisco, a registered dietician. This time around, "Get Active in Rock County" will be printed in English and Spanish, she said.

The key to helping parents make healthy lifestyle choices was listing activities that are inexpensive and fun such as hiking, biking, gardening and swimming, Krisco said. The booklet offers nutrition information and tips on making and sticking to goals.

It also lists advice about choosing books about nutrition and weight-loss videos.

The booklet is geared toward lower-income families who might not be able to afford medical weight loss services.

"You can't get dietetic counseling for a 3-year-old when you're on Medicaid," Krisco said.

Physical activity helps kids and parents do more than just lose weight, she said. Exercise and good nutrition support good mental health, Krisco said.

"If you can foster a love of physical activity in your family, you can address a lot of health issues at once," she said.