FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2022
Contact:
John M. Clymer
Executive Director
202-903-7303
The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) today urged the nation’s mayors to use the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention’s Move with the Mayor™ (MWTM) program to improve mental and physical health and strengthen individual and community resilience. Mayors attending USCM’s 90th Annual Meeting voted unanimously to approve a resolution sponsored by Findlay, Ohio Mayor Christina Muryn.
“Move with the Mayor™ is a national, CDC-supported, easy-to-use, free initiative that mayors across the country use to encourage active, healthy living through programs, policies, and infrastructure, and promote adult vaccinations,” states the resolution.
“It’s about having healthier citizens, getting people to be active and protected from illness, and supporting physical, mental, and emotional health,” Mayor Muryn said. “Walking, moving, and getting vaccinated are non-political. I use Move with the Mayor to help the people of Findlay get and stay healthy.” She added, “A healthy population supports economic development. It’s one reason that Findlay has been Site Selection’s number one micropolitan area in the U.S. for eight years.”
Through MWTM, the National Forum provides mayors a message and program platform to encourage community members to live an active, healthy lifestyle, and keep current on vaccinations. Mayors find it helps them make their communities more vibrant and accessible. Green Bay, Wisconsin used MWTM together with a worksite health program to exceed national health averages and reduce hospital costs.
The resolution highlights the connection between physical activity and mental health, one of USCM’s top priorities.
“Mental health is one of the great challenges of our time, and that means mayors are going to be playing a leading role answering it,” said USCM President and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. The resolution notes, “physical activity is associated with substantially lower risks of depression and anxiety; a person who exercises just half the recommended weekly amount lowers their risk for depression by 18 percent.”
Cosponsors of the resolution include Mayors Dean J. Trantalis (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Farrah N. Khan (Irvine, CA), Todd Gloria (San Diego), Corey Woods (Tempe, AZ), and Martha Guerrero (West Sacramento, CA).
USCM passed another resolution tied to MWTM last year. It “encourages all cities to carry out initiatives that support the vaccination [against COVID-19] of at least 70 percent of people who are eligible to be vaccinated.” MWTM helps mayors encourage adults to be up to date on all their vaccinations.
USCM is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are over 1,400 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor.
The National Forum is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, representing more than 100 national and international organizations from the public and private sectors, including healthcare, public health, employer, faith, advocacy, academic, and policy organizations. The National Forum leads and provides a forum for collaborative action to improve cardiovascular health.
