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From: "ISMA" <listmanager@snowmobile.org>
To: <NEWSLETTER@SNOWMOBILE.ORG>
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 7:05 PM
Subject: Snowmobiling Recommended to Help Keep Americans Mentally and
Physically Fit

Snowmobiling Recommended to Help Keep Americans
Mentally and Physically Fit

> Sept 29, 2004 (Haslett, MI) Across North America many people feel they are
> overworked and under growing pressure; while, at the same time, many
> people are enjoying life, are happy, smiling, and physically active. My
> life experiences have taught me that physically active individuals (such
> as snowmobilers) are happier and healthier, because they are active.
>
> There truly is a divide between people that sit on their fannies and those
> that enjoy the outdoors and have an active lifestyle. I am skeptical of
> the assumption that Americans are working harder. Experts find that those
> who feel they are working harder are just spending more time sitting at
> home watching television and or working on their computer at night
> visiting Internet sites and checking e-mail. Some Americans feel they are
> running harder just to stay in place but many experts agree the stress is
> self inflicted and people need to reestablish their priorities.
>
> Another trend adding to the stress and pressure is more women have entered
> the workforce and are increasingly important contributors to household
> incomes. Women, since they are earning higher incomes, are having much
> more influence on family decisions. The change in the decision making
> dynamic may cause home based stress. It's important that men, women and
> their family members all get off the chair and not worry about their
> e-mail.
>
> Women and men who participate in outdoor activities such as snowmobiling
> are happier and are much more upbeat about life and the future. Families
> that recreate outdoors restructure their work and family schedules so they
> can participate in their chosen outdoor passion. Changing work schedules
> allows families and individuals to get away for two or three days rather
> than two or three weeks. Today's schedules allow time for snowmobiling
> weekends versus extended cruises.
>
> Interestingly, the younger generations, which we are hoping to attract to
> snowmobiling wish to spend more quality time with their families. I
> believe snowmobiling offers this quality time that families are looking
> for and should be embraced by the younger generation. It's tough to have
> quality family time while looking at a computer screen.
>
> There is no secret that life is radically different in our big cities
> compared to the small town lifestyle. The big city schools are radically
> different and city work patterns are different. Individuals in the urban
> areas spend a considerable amount of their daytime commuting, where those
> of us who live in small towns have less stressful commutes to our
> workplace. People who live in smaller communities spend more time with
> their children and less time on the computer.
>
> We are enjoying the outdoors less every year, and now over 143 million
> Americans access the Internet at home each day spending more than an hour
> online. This leisure trend pattern is somewhat bothersome in that
> Internet activity is certainly not a family recreational lifestyle nor is
> it physically demanding. Certainly we can blend the information
> technology activity with outdoor recreation activity and we need to do
> that.
>
> We need to do our best to improve emotional stability of our populace by
> inviting them to the great physical and social activity of snowmobiling.
>
> There are five ways that we can work together as outdoor recreationists to
> help encourage individuals of all ages to join us:
>
> 1. Identify and contact our potential snowmobile friends.
> 2. Explain in simple terms the benefits of snowmobiling, which should be
> easy for all of us to do.
> 3. Find a simple way to introduce individuals to snowmobiling.
> 4. Highlight the needs of these new friends and respond to them
> accordingly.
> 5. Once these new friends experience snowmobiling, make yourself
> available for them to expand on this great new leisure activity you
> introduced them to.

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