Dear PSA Director:

Did you know that for every hour of regular, vigorous exercise you could gain up to two hours of life expectancy?  Regular physical activity, like brisk walking, can help extend your life by decreasing your risk of heart disease and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers.  The many possible benefits of walking include lowering both bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and high blood pressure. Walking also has the lowest dropout rate of any type of exercise, largely because it is free and easy to do.

The American Heart Association’s Start! initiative can help us all get started on the path to a better, healthier life.  Start! encourages all Americans to get out and simply walk 30 minutes every day.  This can be accomplished by parking further away from the office, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or just hopping off the bus a stop or two earlier—every bit counts!  We also have Start! Heart Walk events across the country where thousands of Americans walk with their family, friends and coworkers.

These PSAs, two of which include figure skating icon Peggy Flemming, encourage viewers to start living a healthy lifestyle by taking part in the Start! initiative year-round and participate in their local Start! Heart Walks.  Please join us in our quest to encourage physical activity among friends, family and in the workplace by airing this valuable PSA. 

The obesity epidemic is rising - your viewers deserve to have the tools to Start! something new in their lives.  We thank you for your consideration and support.

Clyde W. Yancy, MD, FACC, FAHA, FACP

President, American Heart Association

To learn more and to get all the tools and information you need to Start! walking and stay heart healthy, visit startwalkingnow.org or call 1-800-AHA-USA1.