In September 2006, the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division launched a new fitness program, Commit 2B Fit™ - It Starts in Parks, to encourage people of all ages to get active.

This campaign is designed to create public awareness that physical activity, which is available through parks and recreation facilities and programs, leads to a healthier lifestyle and overall improved wellness. Participants receive a Commit 2B Fit™ Rewards Card at any Broward County park to keep track of their activities on a monthly basis.

The objective of the program is to visit a park at least six times a month and spend at least 30 minutes doing some form of exercise. The park office will stamp the rewards card for each workout. The honor system applies. When a card is stamped six times, it is complete and earns the patron an engraved charm (declaration disc). The first charm comes with a cord necklace. Each month a new charm is offered with a different health/wellness message. In addition, drawings will be held each quarter to reward participants who have completed and turned in their monthly cards. Contact your local Broward County park to hear about their fitness activities.

According to the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division, park officials feel it is the right time to encourage all County residents to become more responsible for their own health, recognizing that only 27 percent of adults have been advised by a doctor, nurse, or healthcare professional to be more physically active. Children can also benefit from regular exercise. It is widely known that regular physical activity improves health by:

• controlling weight
• lowering blood pressure
• reducing the risk of many diseases
• promoting psychological well-being

The Broward County Parks and Recreation Division, the Broward County Health Department, and Commit 2B Fit™ are pleased to announce a new partnership initiative, PRESCRIPTION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES.   This new program, in cooperation with local physicians, is designed to create awareness of the abundance of fitness opportunities available at county parks and to help reduce the rising obesity problem in the United States.

Using prescription pads provided by the Broward County Health Department, physicians will be able to prescribe light, moderate, or vigorous activities to patients whose health would greatly improve through increased physical activity. Patients will also be given a list of Broward County park locations with available activities.

Patients will have a choice of 15 regional and six neighborhood parks, three nature centers, and nine natural area sites  to choose from, with activities ranging from walking to cable waterskiing. Parks and Recreation staff will be available to provide information on the various activities by level of strenuousness. (Through this link, click on the park of your choice to see a list of available activities.)

At 4 p.m. on Friday, October 5, 6-year-old Brinisha McThay became the fourth quarterly winner in the Broward County Parks and Recreation Division's COMMIT 2B FIT™—IT STARTS IN PARKS program. McThay, who just started first grade at North Fork Elementary School, also just completed her first year in the Parks and Recreation Division's Summer Recreation Program at the Reverend Samuel Delevoe Park. "I walk around the lake," she says of her participation in Commit 2B Fit™ at the park. "When we finish we play on the computers."

McThay, who says she likes reading and math—"I want to be a math teacher when I grow up"—also likes to eat healthy. "I like eating vegetables," she says. "My favorite vegetables are green beans." During P.E. class, her favorite activity is running.

The prize package for McThay was a varied one: a two-night stay, including breakfast and a round of golf, at the Coral Springs Marriott Hotel, Golf Club, and Convention Center; a $100 gift certificate for Whole Foods Market; $50 worth of merchandise coupons from Staples; and a pair of 2007 VIP cards from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau that includes free admittance into more than 35 Broward County attractions, such as Broward County Parks, the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theater, the Museum of Art/Fort Lauderdale, the Stranahan House, and the International Game Fish Association Museum.

Rules of the Commit 2B Fit™ - It Starts in Parks are posted in each park office.