Get Fit!

Get Fit!

This program is not just for Karate students. Anyone can participate with us. It has become well known that Americans are becoming less active and more obese. This is leading to health problems that could be prevented if we just got some exercise. You don’t need to spend hours on a treadmill or join a gym. There are many ways to get exercise and there are bound to be some that you would enjoy. One of the best ways to stick with a program is to join a group of others who are also trying to get fit. Have I got a deal for you! You can join the Christian Karate Academy group in The President’s Challenge and it’s completely free! Not only that, you can earn awards too.

The beginning level is the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award. For this award, you just need to get 60 minutes of exercise a day (30 minutes for adults 18 or older) for 5 days a week for 6 weeks. You will receive a nice certificate plus a patch if you earn this award.

For those who are already active, there are Presidential Champion Awards. You can get certificates for each of the three levels available (Bronze, Silver & Gold).

You can read a ton of information, sign up and log your progress by visiting www.presidentschallenge.org. Don't forget to join the Christian Karate Academy Group when you sign up. The only thing you’ll need is the Christian Karate Academy Group ID, which you can find in our CKA newsletter. You can also request it from me via email at donnie@karatecorner.com.

There are over 100 activities that you can do that will count with this program, including Karate class and practice time. There really is something there for everyone.

Do you need some more motivation? How about getting your exercise at one of Georgia’s State Parks. Most of them only cost you $5 for parking. We just visited Providence Canyon on Memorial Day and enjoyed 3 hours of hiking down into and back out of a very unique and picturesque landscape that you wouldn’t expect to see in Georgia. We even have a park nearby, Panola Mountain State Park, that has hiking trails and access to a 12-mile paved bicycling path. Click here for some trip reports on my recent visits to our parks.

For those of you who are very goal-oriented, Georgia State Parks also offers 3 different challenges that you might want to try. Each of them costs $10 and you get a specially designed T-shirt for each one once you’ve complete the challenge. There’s the Canyon Climbers Club where you hike in 4 of Georgia’s State Park canyons. There’s the Muddy Spokes Club where you do bicycle rides at 11 of Georgia’s State Parks. The newest one of these is the Park Paddlers Club where you either canoe or kayak at 6 of Georgia’s State Parks. I was told by a park ranger that there are no time limits for any of these, but you do need to purchase your club card at the first park where you meet one of the requirements and you must get your card punched at each park where one of the requirements is met.

For more information about Georgia State Parks, you can visit their web site at www.gastateparks.org.

So, get off the computer and let's go Get Fit.

Donnie Chaffin,
4th Dan

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