Promoting physical activity is the topic of this month's feature Health and Fitness article. Most adults know they should be physically active. The word is out that young, old, and middle aged adults need more exercise. Young adults may be physically active if they are involved in a sport or their peer group is active. However, many are not active enough to avoid the early onset of the deleterious effects of inactivity.

We are well aware of the statistics burgeoning our nation's youngsters in terms of rising obesity rates, and the decreased amount of time spent in physical education classes. Our senior citizen population may schedule formal exercise sessions into their weekly routine only after a significant life-changing event. So, who is the target population for whom fitness professionals should be promoting their exercise programs?

It is a lot easier to promote our program, or our services, to those who need no convincing to be regularly active. But, if we sing only to the choir, we won't be reaching those who need a formal physical activity program the most. Those of you teaching physical education in the schools have a captive audience that, in most cases, are required to participate in your program. You may be in a position where you want to promote a program to those that take the physical activity course as an elective or as an after school program.

Hopefully the short article (below) can give you a few new and fresh ideas for promoting your program, whether you are teaching in a school, work in the community recreation or health club area, privately train, or are part of the growing medical facility arena.

Debra D'Acquisto
Health section editor

Here's a simple drill that the fitness committee of the larger coalition, called Shape up Kittitas County, did to discover who the under-represented age groups were relative to opportunities to become physically active.

We invited a few people that lived in different areas of the county, and were physically active themselves. This gave us a good idea of various groups and organizations available for activity. We made sure to invite individuals from different age groups, anywhere from teens to elders. We then came up with a list of age categories such as toddler, school age, pre-teen, teen, young adult, parents with children or young families, middle aged adult, mature, and senior. You can decide on your own categories that best fit the area you work in.

Next, we brain-stormed and documented for each age category all the opportunities for physical activity that were available. Here again, think of the area in which you work, and how you can get new, unreached people sold on your physical activity program. Possible categories you could identify include: different levels of conditioning due to a medical condition, age and/or gender, or whether they are brand new to the program or not.

Similarly, you could classify people according to whether they are seeking development of skill and physical conditioning, or simply trying to maintain functional abilities for performing activities of daily living.

It should become clear which categories are most under-represented in term of opportunities to be physically active. This process should serve as a great springboard for promoting your program.

Let's put ourselves in the place of the consumer. You've made the commitment to exercise, but don't know quite where to begin. Here are some questions you might ask yourself.

	What are my needs?
	Where do I go?
	Is location a factor?
	How do I distinguish between services facilities offer when the prices are similar?
	Does the facility cater to the younger generation and come up short on the over 50 crowd?

These and other questions are typical of someone new to exercise who is looking for a program at a facility. In larger urban areas flyers in newspapers, direct mail pieces, radio and television spots, and other forms of advertisement are found just about everywhere promoting the newest and latest equipment, exercise programs to participate in, and private trainers for hire.

The management of exercise facilities realizes that the more customers they can get in the door, the more opportunity to increase memberships. A relationship between a medical care facility, a doctor's referral, or simple order to start exercising, and a health club demonstrates the power of cross-promotion. There is a target market here. And, as a fitness professional, you have to keep your vision on the targeted group.

Making the mistake of being everything to everybody will create a situation where you don't know to whom you are promoting your program. Ask yourself, "what else can you offer the target market in terms of additional services or retail?" In other words, promote a little bit more than what the consumer, in this case the exercise participant, wants.

For example, suppose an Aqua Delights Senior citizen water class you offer regularly uses hand buoys during their class at your facility. Your decision to have the buoys available for sale in the pro shop adds revenue to your facility, and helps keep the participants interested in the exercise program. Or, perhaps a high school Strength and Wellness class lifts weights regularly as part of the required course of study. The school store could stock and sell weight lifting gloves, again adding revenue and maintaining interest.

Within the fitness industry there are numerous goods and services that can be promoted with ease because they add value, or assist in the goals of the exerciser. For example, promoting sessions with the private trainer is more easily attained once the targeted market is hooked. Adding a consultation with a dietitian, or masseuse, or physical therapist cross-promotes and creates a win-win situation for both the exerciser and the fitness professional. Bundling or packaging services is a promotional strategy that is common and has proven to be successful.

Think about your role as a fitness professional, and see where you can use this promotional strategy.

A book that borrows marketing strategies from the sports marketing industry, and offers a unique way to look at promoting your physical activity program is Ice to the Eskimos: How to Market a Product Nobody Wants, by Jon Spoelstra. The author suggests that the sports industry depends on achieving ticket sales much the same way the fitness industry depends on membership sales for revenue.

The purpose of the book is to demonstrate how to apply a creative approach using established business and marketing principles for any type of business, not just a sport related one. The author makes the point that, although helpful, being the best does not guarantee success. His marketing approach is called "Jump-Start Marketing" and includes the points listed below.

	Creativity is especially important if you are trying to market a product that doesn't sell itself. Spoelstra marketed the Mets by using the stars of the opposing team ("Come to our game with the Chicago Bulls and see Michael Jordan in action").
	Spoelstra describes database marketing as the "silver bullet" of marketing, meaning it's the fastest and least expensive approach for reaching customers. He suggests focusing on your old customers and attempting to reclaim their business.
	Identify your best customers and cater to their needs. Spoelstra emphasizes working hard not to lose them, even if it means bending a few rules.
	"Find out what the problem is and help fix it." Increasing customer service requires a minimal cost, but provides a large return in customer loyalty.

The book is easy to read, and full of stories and examples. It includes a self-examination section with questions to help the reader determine how to apply Spoelstra's ideas to their organization.

Advertising is costly, and often without its own budget. Solely depending on advertising through the means of media eliminates the personal touch that individuals can offer when they self-promote. Whether you are employed through a fitness facility, or are self employed as a fitness professional, learning to self-promote the services you offer is a great asset. Like learning any other skill, the skill of self-promotion takes practice. Here are some tips on the art of self-promotion. Give them a try and share them with your staff.

	Set a goal for yourself to talk with, or contact, 2- 3 new people each day to tell them about what you, your program, and/or what your facility can offer.
	Talk it up and get the students excited, even if you are teaching in the school system and are offering a new conditioning class.
	Visit classrooms for a brief talk about your new conditioning class.
	Contact students who need the physical activity and wouldn't otherwise know about the program.
	Document each contact.
	Create new packages.
	Run specials.
	Offer contests that encourage people to try new activities.
	Tell people about special introductory prices that are offered.
	Bundle services for a short time, and alert the previous contacts you have made to tell them about these specials. Offering specials gives a reason and an opportunity for people to talk about getting started, or trying something new.
	Create a reason for two or three people to start a program together. Camaraderie is a great incentive for people to start a new program and to adhere to it.
	Share information with other fitness professionals about what has made self-promotion particularly easy or particularly hard. Learning from the mistakes and the successes of others can be a powerful learning tool.
	Create scenarios, complete with scripts that allow fitness professionals a chance to rehearse their communication skills and become better at delivering a message that self-promotes.
	And finally, offer a complimentary session, service, or item. This practice should never be underrated as a successful promotional strategy.

Online info reflects your firm's image - This can be taken pretty generically, but can also be applied to your school's physical education website, the newsletter you send home to parents, or any community publicity. Present your program to the public in a way that shows carefulness and consideration, not quickness and thoughtlessness.

Hit a home run with a great pitch - this is good information that can be applied to Debra's 'Target Market" information. Make a great pitch to your target market! Another good article that can apply to any business or program: Less choice can mean more sales.

Photos can boost your PR power - You've heard it said that a picture is worth a thousand words. This applies to promoting your physical education program too.

For physical education websites, especially, this is a good article to read: Controlling your firm's Web image. This article is very interesting: Manners are vital part of your image.

Businesses do well by doing right - "Trust is like the air we breathe. When it's present, nobody really notices. But when it's absent, everybody notices." - Warren Buffett

Trust underlies your business relationships with employees, customers and suppliers. Trust is based on the perception that you are trying to do the right thing, also known as behaving ethically. Read more.

Workshops will promote your brand - One of the best ways that small-business owners can show their expertise to prospective customers is by conducting a workshop. When people have the opportunity to see and hear you speak intelligently about your area of expertise, they will become believers in your knowledge and your ability to assist them. Tailor what this article is saying to promote your physical education program with parents and your community.

I'm sure many of you know about the USDA's website My Pyramid.gov, but I would encourage you to explore it further. This is a great resource containing accurate nutrition information and resources that can be used to promote wellness through healthy food choices. Some of the components of the site include:

MyPyramid Plan: This provides a quick estimate of what and how much you should eat.

MyPyramid Tracker: This tool helps you reach a more in-depth assessment of your diet quality and physical activity status.

There is also a MyPyramid section devoted to kids that includes lots of valuable information available for use in the classroom or by families. This section contains posters, coloring pages, worksheets to track food choices, and tips for families. There is also an interactive computer game, MyPyramid Blast Off, which helps 6-11 year old children learn more about healthy foods. Links are provided to additional classroom material. Be sure to take the time to investigate this site.

An additional reliable website devoted to nutrition education is eatright.org, the official website of the American Dietetic Association. Although a large part of this site is primarily for the nutrition professional, there are many consumer resources available. Look under the tab Food and Nutrition Information to find nutrition fact sheets, food nutrient data, a good nutrition reading list, and basic nutrition information (with brochures, tip sheets, and other resources). Many of these resources could be effectively used for health promotion. See for yourself!

An interesting and informative website on promoting health in schools is entitled Health Promoting Schools. The site is run by the Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit (SHPSU), which was established by the Scottish Executive. Their stated purpose: "SHPSU provides national leadership, coordination, and support for all partners to develop health promoting schools in order to meet the target of all schools in Scotland, being health promoting by December 2007. The unit also supports the mainstreaming of the health promoting schools agenda into education and health policy and practice."

The website contains 4 sections:

	Practitioners: a section devoted to teachers, school nurses, food service workers, or anyone working to create a health promotion school.
	Family and Community: a section for parents, family members, and others in the community. It helps explain the importance of becoming involved in health promotion, and provides information and support on the topics of physical activity, emotional well-being, and healthy eating.
	Young People: this section contains fun games and quizzes that provide young adults with useful information and advice on helping themselves, their classmates and their school become healthier.
	Children: a similar section to Young People, except geared for younger ages.

The site is well-organized, provides a lot of useful information, and is easy to use. See for yourself.

Another helpful website from across the Atlantic is entitled NSW Health. This websites purpose is to "provide information, resources, and support to people involved in health promotion (HP) in New South Wales (NSW)." Of course, there's no reason health professionals in other countries can't benefit as well.

They use a definition of health promotion from the Oxford University Press that states health promotion is, "the process of enabling people to increase control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being an individual or group must be able to identify and realize aspirations, to satisfy needs and to change or cope with the environment." (Nutbeam, D,1986. Health Promotion Glossary. Health Promotion, vol 1, No 1, Oxford University Press)

Some of the sections in this website include injury prevention, nutrition, obesity, and physical activity. The site also includes links to other resources including publications, data and statistics.

THE YUCKIEST SITE ON THE INTERNET

Poop, gas, dandruff, sweat, zits, ear wax, digestion, circulation and more. This is a site where kids can ask questions, play games and find out all about their gross and yucky body! This is a fun and educational place for finding information students want to know, but never ask teachers. Pop-down menus allow users to pick a body function (complete with detailed descriptions, pictures and sounds) or a body system.

The information available from these pop-down menus is designed to appeal to students. It's short, graphic and accompanied by real life sounds. Clicking on a body function such as hiccups leads to the questions: What are hiccups? What makes us keep hiccupping? How can you stop hiccups? Are there any good hiccup remedies? There is a small sound clip, fun facts and a link to respiration. Students can't help but be engaged in learning about all those things that make up a gross and cool body.

There are also teaching units available for grades K-2 and 3-8. Units correlate with common class science topics, and also contain scope and sequence charts, classroom activities, links to related websites, books, videos, and software.

A great place to start is the scope and sequence charts. All the topics are neatly set out with links to lesson plans and ideas. Topics here include animal behaviour, human systems, digestive, muscular and skeletal systems, nervous system, circulatory and endocrine systems, reproductive system, respiratory system, skin, and life cycles.

This is a fun and educational site. Once you get kids on this site, you'll have a tough time getting them to leave! - The Busy Educator