American Heart Association's Montgomery County Heart Walk to feature obstacle course for kids

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - The American Heart Association wants families to feel they can, and are fully equipped to make healthy choices in the home and within their everyday activities – without throwing schedules completely off or leaving wallets empty.

This year, the Montgomery County Heart Walk, which will be on Saturday, November 7 at Aon – The Woodlands from 8:30 – 11 a.m., will welcome a new challenge made just for kids. The event is sponsored by Aon – The Woodlands and chaired by Aon – The Woodland’s Chris Payne and Kiewit Energy’s Jeff Gordon.

“This year, we are so excited to include the Kid’s Heart Challenge during the Heart Walk. We know that healthy habits start young, and we are excited to bring a family-fun obstacle course for kids to enjoy,” Payne said.

The Kid’s Heart Challenge is a fun, half-mile obstacle course for kids ages 5 through 12. The challenge not only will feature fun physical challenges for the kids, but an opportunity to learn important ways to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine.

Today, about 1 in 3 American kids is considered overweight or obese. In fact, the prevalence of obesity in children has more than tripled from 1971 to 2011. Childhood obesity is the No.1 health concern among parents in the United States.

Through this year’s Kid’s Heart Challenge, kids will have the opportunity to take the first steps towards an active lifestyle.

“Our passion is to cultivate a healthy lifestyle for our colleagues, their families, and those in our community,” Payne said.

According to the American Heart Association, childhood obesity is now associated with a broad range of health problems that previously were not seen until adulthood, including a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and premature death.

Another way for parents to get their kids active this fall, is by joining the American Heart Association’s Life is Why Family Health Challenge™ on Facebook.

To help raise awareness and make parents more conscious of their lifestyle choices during September’s Childhood Obesity Month, the Life is Why Family Health Challenge™ will help them take the “controls” back, leaving them feeling empowered to make small moderations in their lifestyle that will lead to bigger heart-healthy changes down the road.

Broken down into four themed weeks, the challenge is offered by the American Heart Association on its national Facebook page, listed as an event, and encourages parents and caregivers, to take the challenge online, with the help of free tools and resources provided to them throughout the week in the forum.

This online group also allows parents and caregivers to act as supports to one another during the challenge and participate in peer-to-peer conversations as they share their successes and address areas they feel they may be lacking.

The week-by-week overview of the challenge includes:


Week 1 – “My Cart is Why” – The American Heart Association recommends eating a variety of fruit and vegetable servings every day. Learn how to increase your fruit and veggie consumption on a budget. Make shopping a fun and easy activity for you and your kids.

Week 2 – “My Glass is Why” – Sugary drinks can cost you your energy and your health, don’t let others sugarcoat your future and let’s make sugary drinks a thing of the past without feeling thirsty.

Week 3 – “My Taste is Why” ­– Most adults eat more than double the amount of sodium recommended by the AHA. Tame your taste buds by reducing the sodium in your foods and on your plate. Be sodium aware…if you dare!

Week 4 – “My Movement is Why” – AHA recommends kids get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every day. Make physical activity fun, simple and memorable with your family. Quick activities that easily integrate into your daily life – no matter your schedule.

Parents and caregivers who successfully complete the challenge can share pictures and feedback from the journey on the event page.

For more information, on the Life is Why Family Health Challenge ™ visit www.heart.org/healthierkids.

To sign up for the Montgomery County Heart Walk, visit www.montgomerycountyheartwalk.org, or http://facebook.com/ahamontgomery