By Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

I’d like to take a moment to talk with you today about time and health. As part of our Shape Up Somerville initiative we try to promote healthy living here in Somerville, and what we generally find is that people are interested in living a more active lifestyle and in eating better. What they do not always have is the time to do those things.

Actually, it is not that they do not have the time, they just have not figured out how to make the time to pursue a healthier lifestyle. A major focus for Shape Up is that we need make the healthy choice the easy choice (not to mention the affordable choice). If you can more easily build exercise into your daily routine and if good, nutritious food is as accessible as a bag of chips, then you will be more inclined to exercise and eat a sensible meal.

As an aside, I realize that some people have begun to rant and rave over initiatives like Shape Up and the First Lady’s Let’s Move program. I should explain that no one says you can’t have a brownie if you want one. The government will not be counting your calories or making you run laps around the track at Dilboy Stadium. Yet I never have met anyone who prefers to be out of shape and unhealthy. All we are trying to do is make it easier for people to get exercise and to eat right.

And that brings me back to the subject of time. For all of you trying to balance the demands of work and family with being healthy, I am right there with you. As any of my predecessors can tell you, being Mayor of Somerville is a 24/7/365 job.  On top of that, being a good father to my four sons, a good husband, a good son and a good friend is something I would also like to be a 24/7/365 job. I imagine everyone would like more time to spend with friends and family.

Between work and family, it does not leave me much time to exercise. I basically have to solve a puzzle every day in order to figure out where I can squeeze in a workout, and I fail to solve that puzzle more often than I would like. It also is very tempting to eat whatever passes in front of you when you are pressed for time.

This pressed-for-time environment we all live in is a leading reason why the City has come up with the Mayor’s Fitness Challenge. It will kick off on Saturday, April 2^nd with an event at the High School gym from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can join a team to compete in the challenge or take a pledge to lead a healthier lifestyle.

As part of the event we will have a farmers’ market, demonstrations from many of the places in Somerville where you can go to get fit, and a health and nutrition fair. During the following two months, we will have early morning workout boot camps, bike rides, walking clubs and loads of other activities all designed to help you build fitness into your daily routine.

I do not care how old or young you are. I do not care if you are in great or awful shape. Everybody can be active in some way and everybody can stand to learn more about preparing a healthy meal. My fitness challenge to you is to make the small, but meaningful changes that put you on track to living a healthier, happier life.

Please, make the time to come out to what should be a fun event, and then make the time for some daily exercise. It will be time well spent.