WHAT IS PALS ?

PALS is an activity program developed by the Community Diabetes Education and Prevention Program (CDEPP).  Partners For Active Living and Support or PALS is a program designed to get people of all ages moving and to get more people involved in regular physical activity.

Do you find it hard to get motivated, to find the energy or the desire to go for that walk or to go for that swim, to do your exercises?  Do you say “I don’t have time” or “I don’t feel like doing that today”?  Well if you do, then PALS is the answer.  It is a program designed to help people get active and stay motivated; to make healthy choices and to prevent or manage type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses.  PALS can help people be physically active on a regular basis.  PALS is a way to provide support and motivation through partnership and mutual commitment.  The PALS program is an agreement and commitment between people to be physically active on a regular basis and to participate in healthy living activities.

Do you want to be a PAL?  Simply find a partner or partners; talk about what you want to accomplish, set goals and decide how to make the changes needed to accomplish these goals.  Register for PALS through CDEPP.  Then begin the PALS program.  The PALS journal has lots of information to help you be more physically active.  An example of how to begin PALS-both partners decide that they will begin PALS by walking 20 minutes, 3 times a week. Next decide the days, times & place(s) you will walk; then call each to go for the walk!  Support your PAL!

CDEPP’s goals for PALS is to increase the number of people participating in regular physical activity.

H OW TO JOIN PALS

1. Complete the registration form; don’t forget to indicate who your PAL will be.
2. SEND OR GIVE YOUR FORM TO CDEPP
3. Once you commit to the PALS program you will receive a PALS PACKAGE.

This package includes: a PALS Journal; an pedometer called a Steps Count activity counter, a CDEPP tape measure and a PALS magnet.  Once you have participated in PALS for one month, you and your PAL should calculate the total amount of activity for that month and then call the results to CDEPP.  When you do this you and your PAL will receive a PALS T-shirt.  To help you be successful with PALS, you will also receive the following pamphlets and information sheet: HEALTHY WEIGHT and ACTIVE LIVING pamphlet (contains information on waist circumference and healthy weight (BMI); Canada’s Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Guide and Canada’s Food Guide, CDA’s Are you at Risk Information Sheet, A Steps Count pedometer instruction sheet and a CDEPP pamphlet.  If you have questions or would like more information, please contact CDEPP at 1-506-458-8422 or 1-800- 442-9789 or diabetes@nbapc.org.

This program has been made possible through funding from the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (ADI); the views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Health Canada.