Editor’s Note: The following is the last in a 12-part series of columns from Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. Move & Improve is an outreach program of EMMC’s Community Wellness Service.

Just imagine … the vision of healthier and more active Maine people. Eastern Maine Medical Center’s Move & Improve program is working to make that vision a reality.

Congratulations to all 14,726 participants for their physical activity accomplishments over the past 12 weeks. You have moved and improved by walking, hiking, biking, skiing, gardening, yoga, aerobics and the list goes on.

Congratulations to the lady in Aroostook County who has been able to leave her oxygen tank at home when she goes for her walk since participating in Move & Improve;

To the children from 198 schools in Maine who became active Move & Improve participants;

To the 393 work sites whose management encouraged physical activity of employees;

To the companies that gave employees paid time to do Move & Improve activities;

To the 26 senior sites who worked with older adults to be physically active;

To the seniors more than 100 years of age who were active participants;

To the more than 400 Maine cities and towns, and 16 counties represented by Move & Improve participants.

A special thank you to the corporate sponsors who lend a hand to make our program visible and feasible. We salute WABI-TV 5, Bangor Savings Bank, Bangor Region Partners for Health, Eastern Maine Charities and the Bangor Daily News. Your partnership has been necessary for the success of the Move & Improve program and its participants.

Kudos to the many volunteers from local and statewide organizations, site coordinators and the staff of Move & Improve who make the program work so well. Our future depends on more volunteers from local and statewide organization to assist all Maine people in being physically active for better health. Thank you to the Maine Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for their endorsement and guidance to the continued development of the program.

Mark your calendar for Wednesday, June 19, to celebrate your Move & Improve physical activity at the Bangor Civic Center. The festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. Call our 973-MOVE line for more details.

Sticking with an exercise plan is the real challenge. Now that our Move & Improve season comes to a close, make sure you take time to design, your summer physical activity to remain committed to your exercise. To help motivate continued activity try “new” activities. You can also find a summertime activity log on the

Move & Improve Web site at www.moveandimprove.org. Keep it posted at home or work as a healthy reminder.

Here are a few tips for summer exercise:

. Hydrate – always consume more fluids than you think you will need before and after exercise and drink during exercise.

. Reduce the intensity of your workout when exposed to higher temperatures.

. Clothing should be lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored to reflect the sun’s rays and of a material that absorbs water.

. Use common sense to prevent heat stress.

. Use the heat index to determine your exercise schedule.

. Try to accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity over most days of the week.

Enjoy Vacationland this summer. Be active, eat well and enjoy moving to improve

Elanna Farnham is the coordinator for Eastern Maine Medical Center’s Move & Improve program. For more information, call 973-7245 or efarnham@emh.org.