5210 Let's Go
STPH ENCOURAGES 5210 LET’S GO PROGRAM
FOR HEALTHIER FAMILIES
COVINGTON - To encourage a healthier lifestyle among children — and their parents — nearly 160 people turned out May 17 to take part in Storywalk, hosted by the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Parenting Center as part of the national 5210 Let’s Go program.
Pages of “A Pony Rodeo,” a book written by Parenting Center and STPH Community Wellness Center staff and illustrated by St. Scholastica Academy students, were transformed into signs laid out on the hospital’s Employee Walking Trail.
Participants rode a stick pony throughout the path, stopping at each page for an activity related to the book, such as barrel racing and a balloon stampede. Participants enjoyed healthy refreshments and interactive paint and sticker play with live ponies at the end of the trail.
It was all part of the 5210 program, built on the concept of five or more fruits and vegetables, two hours or less of recreational screen time, one hour or more of physical activity and zero sugary drinks. The 5210 idea is to get away from computer, phone and game, set down the sugar-laden drinks and trade them for active lifestyle, water and healthy food options.
“The 5210 program makes it easy to remember the steps to a healthy lifestyle,” says Lori Cage, executive director of the Parenting Center. “The model is evidence-based, and while its core mission is to prevent childhood obesity, it’s something the entire family can follow.”
While the ponies may have already left the stable, the Parenting Center will continue to offer programs to encourage families to incorporate the 5210 program into their daily routines. You also can click here for more information about the 5210 Let's Go program and how to incorporate it into your daily routine.
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A full-service acute care facility committed to providing world-class healthcare and the latest technology, St. Tammany Parish Hospital delivers today’s life-improving procedures with the utmost care to area residents with emphasis on wellness, preventive care and disease management close to home. STPH is a self-supporting not-for-profit community hospital; it receives no tax funding. STPH.org