The idea to create a Physical Activity Council began with the Healthy People 2010 Health Objectives for Lincoln and Lancaster County. This report presented more than 200 recommendations to improve and protect the health status of all community members and visitors within three major areas of public health-Healthy Behavior, Healthy People and Healthy Environment.

Health Partners Initiative (HPI), a locally based private, nonprofit organization, has a mission of bringing together multiple "partners" in the community to help address unmet health needs. This group, along with the Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD), asked for community input on the recommendations of the Healthy People 2010 plan to determine the health issues of greatest community concern. HPI served as convener, with many organizations involved in making recommendations. From the community input process the topic of physical inactivity and overweight/obesity was selected as one of three priority areas to address.

As physical activity decreases, overweight and obesity among children and adults increases. Physical inactivity and overweight/obesity are linked to increases in cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers. A priority recommendation from the community input process was to create a Physical Activity Council with many partners to promote physical activity among Lincoln's residents.

This Council would:

• Encourage individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors through education
• Support public policy that fosters active living
• Promote and develop community partnerships to increase physical activity
• Encourage social and environmental change to increase opportunities for physical activity

The Lincoln in Motion logo was created as a community wide message encouraging a physically active lifestyle. The website serves as an information clearinghouse for events and activities that promote physical activity. The Council also supports environmental changes at schools, worksites, and in residential areas to make the choice to be physically active the easy choice.

For more information about how to use the Lincoln in Motion website to promote events and activities, please visit the Sponsorship Opportunities page.

Partners in Lincoln in Motion include:

• BryanLGH Hospital, www.bryanlgh.org
• Health Partners Initiative, www.healthpartnersinitiative.org
• Lancaster County Medical Alliance
• Lancaster County Medical Society, www.countymedicalsociety.org
• Lincoln Area Agency on Aging, www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/mayor/aging
• Lincoln Parks & Recreation, parks@lincoln.ne.gov
• Lincoln Public Schools, mavery@lps.org
• Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, Health Promotion & Outreach, www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/health/educat
• Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, Workwell, www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/health/educat/workwell
• Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, www.madonna.org
• Nebraska Health & Human Services, www.hhs.state.ne.us/cvh
• Saint Elizabeth Foundation, lpalensky@stez.org
• Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, www.saintelizabethonline.com
• University of Nebraska - Dept. of Nutrition & Health Services, http://cehs.unl.edu/nhs
• YMCA, www.ymcalincoln.org
• Great Plains Trails Network, www.gptn.org