Free Six Week Fitness Program Offered By County

The Hillsborough County Health Department is offering a free six-week
fitness and nutrition education program called "Get Into Fitness Today." The Get Into Fitness Today program is being offered at various locations throughout Hillsborough County.

With weight loss and healthier eating at the top most New Year's resolutions,
the Get Into Fitness Today meetings come at the perfect time to start the New
Year off on the right track. More than 75 percent of over 3,000 participants who have participated in the Get Into Fitness Today program have lost weight.

Participants will learn the tools to improve nutrition and increase physical
activity to prevent and reduce chronic diseases through weight loss. Each
meeting is only one hour a week, and provides easily incorporated tools in a
fun, supportive group environment free of strict dieting and overwhelming
exercise regimens.

Participants will learn how to easily incorporate healthier options into
meals, exercise in a way that is fun, have access to a registered dietitian
for one-on-one consultation to enhance weight loss efforts (if needed), and
enjoy an end-of-program supermarket shopping tour hosted by a registered
dietitian that teaches the healthy and nutritious way to shop.

The Hillsborough County developed the Get Into Fitness Today program in 2007
in response to the results of a community-wide health survey that indicated
people felt obesity was the county's most serious health problem.  Utilizing
trained lay health workers and volunteer facilitators, Get Into Fitness Today
groups meet in a variety of settings, including local businesses, places of
worship, and community centers.

Requirements for participation include weekly weigh-ins, attendance at all six
meetings, and pre-registration. Space is limited, so register early by calling
Hilary Douglass, Get Into Fitness Today facilitator, at (813) 307-8071.

Hillsborough County provided the information for this report.