This will be quick. Today our S.Y.N.C with GenerationAction.ca youth (ages 13-19) contest officially kicks off!

We have 10 days of trivia for you, with a daily prize draw for your correct answer to the questions. We will be posting one trivia question a day, on one of our social media outlets. It’s up to you to find it, and then submit your correct answer to get your name into the draw for each day’s great active prize! (trust me they are good! I wish I could enter, for real!)

I will tell you where to check, we don’t want to make it too hard for you! Watch the blog (you are here, www.generationaction.ca). Watch our Facebook group Generation Action by Saskatchewan in motion, and peep our tweets on Twitter!

You can submit your daily answer by commenting on the blog, posting on Facebook, tweeting the correct answer to @Kenji22, emailing kenji@saskinmotion.ca or txting 306-550-9646! So many ways, it’s almost too easy.  

It doesn’t stop there either. Do you have something to say about physical activity, the physical inactivity crisis, or something connected to these topics? Write a blog and submit it to kenji@saskinmotion.ca. You could be selected as a guest blogger on GenerationAction.ca, this is your chance to be heard! Speak up and Act Out now.

You can submit as many complete blog posts relating to the specific topics as you want. Each complete post gets you another entry into the Grand Prize Draw for a $350.oo SportChek voucher! (Nice eh!) Plus if you are selected as the guest blogger not only will your winning post be featured there is an additional prize in it for you! (You can’t go wrong with that)

As I mentioned a second a go, even after all that opportunity to win there is a Grand Prize Draw! (I know right! more winning!) Each day you submit a correct trivia answer you get one entry into the big draw! That makes 10 chances to enter! Plus each complete blog post you submit relating to the required topic earns you that many more chances to win! Wow.

Like I said before the prizes are great, so for the next 10 days (until March 15, 2010) keep your eyes on our socail media, submit, and win!

Go!

You can check out the full contest rules at saskatchewan in motion’s website.

Good luck everyone.

Check out Generation Action by Saskatchewan in motion’s Facebook group for today’s Trivia!

Kenji

I was stuck on blog inspiration for this week – I had a couple of thoughts but nothing I was feeling desperate to share with the world.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Moment!

Then I checked my twitter (have I mentioned how much I love twitter.. I love it! [follow me @Kenji22] haha). There was a message from our communications guru Kim (follow her @Herperki) with a link to a great blog written about exactly what I was struggling with, so helpful! Check it out if you’re stuck -13 Ideas To Inspire Your Blog Content

This One’s For You

A second glance at my direct messages revealed a tweet for my “awesome friend Tim” with another idea about how he stays active playing league rec hockey. So this one’s for you Timma!

My boy Tim is right; the best inspiration for being active is fun! He doesn’t play on his team because they are elite or win every game..(sorry man, you guys are awesome tho!) It’s because a bunch of buds get to play the game they love. They get their competitive spirit going, and take pride in their team. Let’s be honest, the chill time after the game doesn’t hurt either. But if it wasn’t for the hockey, that bunch of guys wouldn’t hang out nearly as often. (Smart sounding summary of my point—activity is a social catalyst)

The Science—or Not

My original plan was to get into the scientific stuff about the chemicals your body produces when your active but; all the articles are really long and would require research into the meaning of strange multi-syllable words. Perhaps a subject for another time, I’m going to stick with the fun!

Life Experience

In grade 9 one of my favorite teachers ever got me and my friends into rowing. We were never at any kind of competition level, but it was cool. I have a competitive spirit for sure. So I may have gotten intense and tried to make us into world champs. Much to my dismay it never happened. Lol. We did spend a lot of time at the marina and gained enough skill to move from an 8 boat to a 4 (the more people the less balanced you have to be on your own). For a while, we took it pretty serious and did dry land training too. We all knew we would never be Canada’s Olympic team or anything, but it motivated us to be active, even off the water.  Plus, learning to row on Wascana lake in Regina pre “big dig” gave my friends and I some now hilarious oars covered in seaweed stories for our crew.

No Rules

You don’t need a league to regularly have a mostly friendly competitive game, family drive way b-ball games can get nasty depending on who’s playing.  Hit the school yard for b-ball, or the ball diamond, or the park for football, soccer or cricket, or fly a kite. Whatever! They’re all a good time and good for ya too!

One With the Fun

Sometimes being around a bunch of people isn’t my idea of fun either. So I hit the bike path. Either on my bike or my long board, on which I am a hot mess! Ok… just a mess, but it’s a blast anyway. Plus, I get an ab workout from laughing at myself.

Any good stories out there..share em’ in the comments below!

Keniji

Happy New Year to you all!

I wanted to share with everyone a lengthier version of an e-mail I sent out to all of the contacts I’ve made at the 08’and 09’ Student Leadership Conference. As well as the participants of the Lieutenant Governors Youth Forum.

Anyway I’ll get right to it; here’s what I want to share with you:

Generation Action has gone live! It is our “youth” blog, written be me, Kenji. – I write about physical activity all the time, but it’s unique cuz I make links to anything relevant. A lot of the time the topics of the blog are things you may not have thought of as being related to physical activity.

We have our new facebook group, Generation Action Saskatchewan in motion. You can also find the group by finding me, Kenji (Kendra Kenji Schmidt)!

We’re all over the social media scene cuz everyone here at the provincial office is part of the twitterverse (twitter) too. You can follow me @Kenji22 or follow the provincial office @inmotionsk.

Here is the straight up truth. Only 15% of kids and youth are getting enough physical activity to receive health benefits. I am not cool with that.. are you?

Our generation is set to be the first to have a shorter expected life span than our parent’s generation. – How is that possible with everything we know? The science is simple; to be healthy we need to be active.

The lifestyle is the hard part. That is the part we all usually need a little help with. We all need to help each other keep activity interesting. We need to come up with good ideas to motivate and engage people. We’ve gotta advocate for policy that enhances a lifestyle where activity is encouraged.

A bunch of us need to say “no thanks” to all the health problems and disadvantages that come from leading sedentary lifestyles. Then say “yes” to the benefits and joy that come from being active, and reconnecting with the natural world.

I know there are so many problems and things to worry about in the world so you might ask why worry about being active? Making the choice to be active is something you can directly and immediately impact. It’s your life and unlike bigger issues you don’t have to wait for anyone else to make a decision to change for the better, it’s all you! You can choose active transportation, or join a class, or take a hike, or swim in a lake. While physical inactivity is a huge issue the solution is straight forward. Move forward, one day at a time, get active and stay active!

That whole bit made it sound like living active will be hard work. Honestly though, some of my best memories are from biking around the neighborhood with my friends, and my time being involved with sports and dance.

If you’re interested in receiving the same kind of e-mails as these guys send me a quick e-mail (kenji@saskinmotion.ca) to let me know.

Have a great active weekend everyone!

Kenji!