Physical Activity and Health Conference to be held in October

BEMIDJI, Minn. (Sept. 21, 2010) — Sports medicine and exercise science professionals and students from a four-state region will converge at Bemidji State University in October to discuss physical inactivity and its impact on public health at the Physical Activity and Health Conference.

The conference, held Oct. 7-8 in conjunction with the 35th annual meeting of the Northland Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine, will bring professionals and students dedicated to the advancement of sports medicine and exercise science together from Minnesota, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota.

The conference will examine the benefits of physical activity and explore how physical inactivity, or sedentarism, has emerged as a major threat to American public health. Featured presenters include Dr. Barbara Ainsworth, president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine and professor of exercise and wellness at Arizona State University, and Dr. Marc Hamilton of Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Ainsworth will present on methods of measuring the amount of physical activity needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle and on an index of American fitness. Hamilton will present on the roles of inactivity in chronic diseases such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and also seek to answer the questions of just how inactive Americans are and why we as a society are not more active.

Additional speakers will present on local and regional efforts to promote physical activity and health.

Registration fees for the conference range from $15 to $91; space is limited, and registration by Thursday, Sept. 30, is encouraged. For additional information and a complete breakdown of the registration fee tiers, visit http://www.northlandacsm.org/meetings.html.

CALENDAR
Oct. 7-8
– Physical Activity and Health Conference at Bemidji State University, in conjunction with the 35th annual meeting of the Northland Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine. Location: Beaux Arts Ballroom, Bemidji State University campus. Registration: $15-$91; see website for details. Information: http://www.northlandacsm.org/meetings.html.