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got milk?(R) and the NBA Showcase New National Teen Health and Fitness Initiative at Marina Del Rey Middle School in Los Angeles

Posted on: Monday, 13 April 2009, 18:15 CDT

Los Angeles Lakers Star Luke Walton Rallies Students to Get Fit By Finals, Awards School with a "got milk?" Get Fit Grant

LOS ANGELES, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Los Angeles Lakers star Luke Walton is rallying Los Angeles teens to get into the fitness game as part of a new national campaign called Get Fit By Finals. The new program is part of a new partnership between the "got milk?" Body By Milk(R) Campaign and NBA FIT, the NBA's comprehensive health and wellness initiative that promotes healthy lifestyles for children, teens and adults through fitness and nutrition.

Adolescent obesity has tripled over the last two decades, so it's never been more important for teenagers to make better health and physical activity choices. That's why Get Fit By Finals calls on teens of all activity levels to take simple steps to help improve physical fitness and nutrition - such as being active for at least 60 minutes a day and drinking 3 glasses of fat free milk each day. The new program is based on the latest federal physical activity guidelines and draws on the fitness expertise of the NBA and WNBA trainers and the nutrition expertise of NBA sports dietitians to help teens achieve their own personal fitness goals.

Luke Walton, Los Angeles Lakers star, will be at Marina Del Rey Middle School on Monday, April 13th rallying students to get fit, encouraging them to sign-up for the Get Fit By Finals Challenge and presenting the school with $1,000 "got milk?" Get Fit Grant to help them implement health and fitness programs.

"As a NBA player, I've learned the importance of maintaining a high fitness level in order to play the best basketball I can. Exercising regularly and eating healthy are two big components that allow me to stay fit. I'm excited to meet and speak with these teens who share those same goals and are participating in the Get Fit By Finals program," said Walton.

Marina Del Rey Middle School is among thousands of other schools nationwide that have received special Get Fit activation kits that include expert fitness and nutrition videos, tips and drills from the NBA, and posters and banners featuring NBA and WNBA All-Stars Chris Paul and Diana Taurasi for school cafeterias and gyms that will urge teens to get fit.

Drink Milk, Stay Active and Join the Challenge

Teens can join the Get Fit By Finals Challenge at bodybymilk.com. Whether they're star athletes or just wanting to improve their fitness level, the program has something for teens of all ability levels and interests to help them achieve their personal goals. To help motivate teens to get involved, Challenge participants will be eligible to win a variety of prizes, including sports equipment and a VIP experience at the 2009 NBA Finals. Participating schools also have a chance to win a gym makeover by showing how they rally their students to get fit.

Exclusive Get Fit Tips and Tools

• Exclusive NBA Training Videos: Teens can watch exclusive videos each week at bodybymilk.com to get the inside scoop on how the pros stay fit and healthy. Featuring some of the best players from the NBA and WNBA, as well as NBA trainers and sports dietitians, each video covers different fitness or nutrition topics to help guide teens on the road to fitness, NBA-style.
• Get Fit "Daily Drills": Teens can receive daily video tips from NBA pros suggesting simple behavior modifications they can make each day to help them Get Fit. Teens can get their Daily Drills online or they can opt to receive them via e-mail - whatever suits them best!
• Online Personal Fitness Tracker: To help them stay on track with their fitness routine, teens will receive a free Personal Fitness Tracker when they sign up for the Get Fit By Finals Challenge. This exclusive online tool helps them log their minutes of daily exercise and milk consumption, journal their progress towards reaching their personal goal, and assign a "Get Fit Champion" to follow along and provide motivation. Some studies suggest journaling can be an effective way of reaching personal fitness and health goals.
• Get Fit "To Go": Teens won't have to go far to get expert fitness tips and exclusive NBA content. The Get Fit "widget" is a one-stop shop for program information, serving up weekly videos, Daily Drills and a link to their Personal Fitness Tracker - all from the convenience of their own social network page or desktop. Teens can grab the widget at bodybymilk.com - then they're good to go!

Get Fit Rewards

Getting fit can be a rewarding experience - especially with the support of Milk and the NBA. When teens join the Get Fit By Finals Challenge, they'll receive a special Get Fit rewards package featuring discounts on fitness gear. Frequent "mini-challenges" will encourage teens to show how they're getting fit for the chance to bag some sweet rewards, and teens who show how they're getting fit using their Personal Fitness Tracker will be eligible to win trips to the NBA Playoffs and a grand prize of an all-expenses-paid VIP experience at the 2009 NBA Finas. Plus, there are cool sweepstakes prizes for all teens, whether or not they join the Challenge.

Get the Body You Want

Being active and eating right is key to getting fit and maintaining a healthy weight - and it's important to think about what you drink, too. Regular exercise and a healthy diet that includes drinking lowfat or fat free milk is not only a healthier choice; it can also help teens look and feel their best.

Milk makes a great choice after exercise because it contains a mix of nutrients that help muscles recover and refuel, which may help active people get back in the game. Milk also contains high-quality protein to build lean muscle, calcium to keep bones strong, electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium and calcium that are lost in sweat, and fluids to help with hydration. Get Fit By Finals encourages teens to drink 3 glasses of lowfat or fat free milk a day to help get the nine essential nutrients active bodies need, including calcium, protein, vitamin D and potassium. It's a simple behavior change that can add up to make a big difference. Choosing lowfat or fat free milk is one easy way teens can cut out empty calories and in their place, get important nutrients to help them look and feel healthy.

About Body By Milk(R)

Body By Milk(R) is part of the National Milk Mustache "got milk?" Campaign, a multi-faceted education program focused on the health benefits of milk. The campaign is managed by the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) in Washington, D.C., which is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The tagline "got milk?"(R) was created for the California Milk Processor Board by Goodby Silverstein & Partners and is licensed by the national milk processor and dairy producer groups.

About The NBA

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2007-08 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages via a record 202 television partners. The league's worldwide reach is also reflected in the 75 international players from 30 countries and territories on NBA rosters. Domestically, the NBA broadcasted 142 regular-season games on national television last season on ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2, and broke attendance records for the fourth consecutive season.

NBA FIT is a league-wide, comprehensive health and wellness platform that encourages proper eating habits and promotes exercise to children and young adults. The NBA FIT initiative, which inspires youth to make healthy life decisions by maintaining nutritious eating habits and participating in regular exercise, will be supported by league promotion and the NBA FIT Team. The NBA FIT Team will consist of current and former NBA and WNBA athletes, NBA coaches and athletic trainers that will serve as spokespeople for the initiative and lead workshops and clinics that provide children with the necessary fundamentals to continue on a path of health and growth.

SOURCE Milk Processor Education Program

Source: PR Newswire

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