Department of Parks and Recreation
Hearts N Parks
Arlington County Virginia is a Hearts n Parks Community!
What Is Heart N Parks?
Hearts N Parks is an exciting new national program sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA).
The goal of the program is to create model community-based programs to increase the number of children and adults who engage in heart-healthy behaviors.
Why Arlington?
Arlington County's Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources was honored to be hand selected as a pilot site before the program that launched nationally in July 2000.
Arlington was selected because NHLBI and the Surgeon General's Office recognize the many ways that community parks and recreation programs positively affect the well being of people. We are proud to offer programs that demonstrate Arlington as a Hearts N Parks Community!
What is The Arlington Department Of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Doing To Promote Hearts N Parks?
- Kids in the elementary after school and playground camp programs, as well as, mature adults in the senior adult programs are participating in more physical activities while learning about the importance of a healthy diet.
- The Hearts N Parks logo is found on trail maps, mile markers, and other promotional materials for programs and facilities that offer heart healthy activities.
- The department's class offerings promote a series of heart healthy classes.
- Thomas Jefferson Community Center and Barcroft Sport and Fitness Center are flagship sites for Hearts N Parks, offering safe and affordable places to be active.
What Can Arlingtonians Do To Promote Heart Healthy Behaviors?
These simple tips will help control body weight, prevent/control obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, which are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
- Get regular physical activity. You need to engage in only about 30 minutes of moderate-level activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.
- Choose a diet that is low in saturated and total fat, and cholesterol.
- Follow an eating plan that balances calorie intake with your level of physical activity. This is the key to maintaining a healthy body weight, or even losing weight if you are overweight.
