What can you do to help make your community healthier?

What You Can Do

Making it better in my community. What can I do?
It’s clear that people eat healthier foods and enjoy more physical activity when it’s easy to do. So how can we make it easier?

Here are some simple things you can do in your neighborhood, school and workplace. With your help, we can make sure everyone has access to healthy foods and places to play, walk and ride. We’d love to hear the results of your efforts—tell us how you are making it better!

In your neighborhood

Identify safety concerns. Talk with your neighbors about things in your neighborhood that make it unsafe for kids to be physically active.
Request healthy foods. Ask for fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods—and less junk food—at your neighborhood stores and restaurants.
Limit screen time at childcare. Start a conversation with your childcare provider about limits for TV and video games (and no screen time for children under two). Learn more about healthy childcare.

Looking for more? Download our neighborhood tip sheet (PDF).

In your school

Start a “walking school bus.” Talk with other neighborhood parents about taking turns walking with groups of children to and from school. Learn more about this and other active commutes to school.
Serve healthy foods at events. Work with your PTA, teachers and principal to make it a policy to serve healthy food as classroom rewards and at school functions, including evening events, meetings, fundraisers and parties.
Speak up for PE. Tell your school board and/or principal that kids need physical activity and physical education as a regular part of the school day.

Want more ideas? Download our school tip sheet (PDF).

At work

Ask for healthy vending machine choices. Start a conversation with your employer and co-workers about offering healthy choices in vending machines and taking out unhealthy drinks and foods. Learn more about healthy vending.
Talk to your employer about starting a healthy meeting policy. Promote healthy choices at work by serving healthy meals and snacks during meetings.
Talk to you employer or team about implementing walking meetings. Walking meetings are perfect for smaller groups of people. Ask people to keep comfortable shoes at work for meetings that exercise both body and brain.

Hungry for more? Download our workplace tip sheet (PDF).