TRYING TO MOVE AMERICA; MELISSA JOHNSON'S TASK: STAMP OUT INACTIVITY, STEP BY STEP

The Washington Post
March 30, 2004

When Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson recently urged all Americans to take "Small Steps" to be more physically active, he passed the baton to Melissa Johnson, executive director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, to help get the nation moving.

Since its inception in 1956, the President's Council has been best known for testing the physical fitness of schoolchildren. Today, youngsters earn patches for doing such things as curl-ups, pull-ups and walking or running a mile. Since 2001, the council has expanded its mission to boost physical activity in all Americans aged 6 or older.

Johnson, 44, a dancer and former competitive gymnast, earned a master's degree in health/fitness management from American University and majored as an undergraduate in kinesiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She came to the President's Council in October, after serving as executive director of California's physical fitness and sports council, which was chaired by Arnold Schwarzenegger, now governor of California.

Johnson recently walked along the Mall with Health's Sally Squires to discuss how to get more Americans active every day. She also talked about the challenge of staying fit herself now that she's in a desk job in Washington.

How do you find time for regular physical activity?

I'll be honest with you. Physical activity has been a very natural part of my life. It was never something that I even had to think twice about. I was a gymnast, a dancer. I mean, it was my life. I was a health and fitness professional. I taught [exercise and dance] classes. It was always built into my days just naturally.
I really have to consciously build it in now because it's not so natural anymore. So that's good for me to understand in this job. So whether it's getting up at 5 in the morning or doing it at 10 p.m., it's finding ways to build it in. And I don't even have kids.

How much do you work out?

At this phase in my life, I don't have time for my two-hour daily workout like I used to, but what is important to me is to just get enough physical activity for health benefits. It really helps me mentally, psychologically, just to keep things clear. It really helps with the whole mind-body connection. It really helps with stress management. So I make sure I get yoga and Pilates in, as well as my aerobic or cardio and my strength training.

How often do you do Pilates and yoga?

I do them every morning when I wake up and usually do them before I go to bed at night, too. I do it right there in my living room, 20 to 30 minutes, just to get my body moving. Every morning, I do the [yoga] sun salutation. I've been doing that for about four to five years. It really helps my back. I have a little bit of scoliosis, and this really alleviates any kind of pain.

But to get my cardio and strength training I make sure that I build it in consciously. With this job, there are a lot of functions and events in the evening after work. I say yes to a lot of them, but sometimes I just have to say my health comes first. I have an appointment with myself.

What are you doing to get federal employees to walk the walk?

There is a fitness center at the Humphrey Building [Health and Human Services headquarters], which is wonderful for all the employees. We did the President's Challenge at HHS in January. Everyone was broken down into teams. And Tommy Thompson would like to unveil this cabinet-wide.

What new steps are you taking to help the public get more active?

We have a memorandum of understanding with the departments of Interior, Transportation, USDA and Forestry to look for ways to encourage people to move outdoors, to take advantage of the parks and the recreation facilities that are all around us. So, for example, we did a snowshoeing clinic at Wintergreen [resort in Virginia.] That was fun.

A lot of us live in a very fast-paced world right now. We have a lot of responsibilities and obligations to work, to family. And it is nice for families to do things together. That is what we are also trying to encourage -- family activities -- because a lot of parents don't even have time to spend with their kids. But this is something that on weekends they can do together.

When you go around the country, what do people ask you most about the President's Challenge?

The most common question I get is, "Do you still do the fitness test for kids?" They don't know that we have this whole program for adults and this new online Web site feature. Every single person can get presidential recognition if they want (www.presidentschallenge.org). So a lot of people who didn't get the patch as kids can get the presidential recognition right now.

Our motto is that the President's Challenge has now grown up. We really like to say to everyone: "No matter who you are, you can get an award, not based just on the number of push-ups you do but just going out and being physically active." Our goal is to have perhaps 20 million people using the President's Challenge Web site program.

How many people use it now?

Under 100,000. But it was just launched in July.

Do you find that some people feel like they're too overweight, too out of shape or too old to work out?

Yes. And I always say, it's never too late. You're never too old to start.

I just got back from Palo Alto [Calif.], where I met this woman who is 60 years old. She had been very depressed. She just wanted to give up. Someone talked her into just walking and then jogging, and she ended up running a marathon. She just got volunteer of the year award for an organization.

So there is hope for everyone. Everyone. No matter if they are physically challenged or not. We actually have a new partnership that we are doing with Office of Disability here. We are very excited about that.

Why do you think 65 percent of Americans live such sedentary lives?

Everything is very automated. Technology is a good thing, except there are also trade-offs. We have less opportunity or need really to be active in our daily lives. A lot of people have desk jobs. Computers and the Internet are a very good thing. We're not going to move backwards, nor do we want to.

But the point is, physical activity isn't a natural part of our daily lives. So we need to find ways to build that in and find ways to do that creatively and in a fun way. Some people who don't enjoy it at all are going to have to sneak it in, you know, so that they don't even know it.

What excuses do people give you for not being physically active?

We hear, "I don't have time. It's not accessible." Most people do know that they should or they need to be active, but it's just a matter of doing it. I honestly feel that we would like to help people move to that first step, because once they take that first step they will be more apt to continue.

So what do you recommend for people who want to work more physical activity into their daily lives?

I would say the easiest, most fun thing is to grab a friend at lunch and go out for a walk. You're talking and you don't even notice [that you're exercising.] But make it a brisk walk.

The point is, I truly believe that once people get going, they're going to realize how much they enjoy it and most importantly, how good it makes them feel. So they actually are going to look forward to it.

Sedentary people haven't experienced that good feeling yet [with physical activity]. So start with walking. Some people can't even do 30 minutes to start. So just do 10 or 15 minutes. And the next day, build on that. But make it gradual and attainable. And again, with a friend. They will slowly, fully realize -- even if it takes a couple of weeks -- how good it makes them feel and so they want to go out there and do it. And then maybe they can start adding other activities.

Do you find that people are looking for quick fixes?

Everyone wants their magic bullet. The sound message is, get regular physical activity and eat a balanced, nutritious diet. That isn't sexy and hot, you know, but it comes back down to that.

Basically, we want people to get in touch with their bodies, really make people realize that there are serious health consequences to being sedentary, and especially with our kids. This could possibly be the first time in history that this generation of children won't outlive their parents. We are doing a great disservice to our children if we don't all work together.

How do you plan to do that?

We work very closely with private and public enterprise because we strongly believe that it is collaboration that is going to reverse the obesity trend. No entity can do it alone. I am just really excited that we are all working together in the country and think it is a matter of connecting the dots. I think there is a groundswell. Forty years ago, look where we were with tobacco and smoking. It takes time. The tide doesn't turn overnight.
So how will you help people start?

You log in at www.presidentschallenge.org. You pick kids, adults or seniors, you sign in and register. The Presidential Active Lifestyle Challenge is six weeks, but we allow eight weeks to complete it.

We have a list of more than 100 activities to choose from. There's cardio, strength training, stretching and flexibility, even housework. You can do 30 minutes five times a week at any of those activities. People just starting out might want to do just one type of exercise, but truly a balanced physical activity program does incorporate flexibility, strength training and cardiovascular [activities].

The most important thing is to encourage people to choose activities that they enjoy, because otherwise they're not going to continue it. Basically you fill in a star [as you log your activity]. Then over the six weeks, they get their six stars then they get eligible for a certificate, or a little emblem or patch. And then beyond that is the champions program and that is based on points. And that's when they are eligible to get the medallion.

Back to your life. Do you belong to a health club?

I found an apartment complex with an on-site fitness center. It is convenient and accessible. Also, I joined a fitness center that is a block away from my apartment so that I can get to that easily, even in the snow. At home, I am on the thirteenth floor of my apartment complex and I will take the stairs up instead of the elevator just because I know I didn't quite get enough activity in and every little bit counts.

What if you still don't get to your club?

Exercise videos are something very new for me. I never used to use videos. I actually have yoga videos and Pilates mat videos. I love them. In fact, I do those exercises when I travel. In fact, I get a longer workout when I'm traveling.*