Healthy Monday gives 52 chances for health

NEW YORK, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- The prefect day to start on the road to health is the first Monday of the year -- and every succeeding Monday as well, a group of researchers suggest.

Healthy Monday is a project of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore and Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications.

In 2005, 22 people gathered at Columbia University to discuss the idea of a day devoted to health. Not just one day once year, but a weekly occurrence, and Healthy Monday was born. A growing number of organizations have joined the national movement and integrated "Monday" into their health improvement programs.

Healthy Monday was founded by leaders in the field of public health dedicated to improving the health of Americans by providing a framework for the delivery of innovative, evidence-based health campaigns aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality associated with the four leading causes of preventable disease in the United States -- poor diet and inactivity, smoking and alcohol misuse.

The researchers suggest starting Monday Mile to increase activity, enjoy a Meatless Monday to reduce saturated fat, use Mindfulness Monday to reduce stress, or simply resolve to use Monday to begin a new healthy behavior or stop an unhealthy one like smoking.

More information is at: http://healthymonday.org.