Get your dancing shoes on and join the Department of Health and town crier Ed Christopher for a “dance-walk” through the City of Hamilton tomorrow.

Everyone is invited to take part in the event, which aims to combine fun and music with physical activity as Bermuda observes Move for Health Day.

“We thought it would be a fun way to engage people who like music, who like to participate with groups, and also for the Department of Health to walk the talk and let us lead by example but with that fun element,” Healthy Schools co-ordinator Marie Beach-Johnson told The Royal Gazette.

“We’re going to have our boom box and some 1970s and 1980s hits that I put together.

“Hopefully people will hear the bass music booming as we walk along the streets.

“It’s for all ages, all fitness levels. It’s not going to be rigorous — it’s dancing, it’s walking and just having a blast.”

Health Promotion co-ordinator Virloy Lewin added: “We are fortunate enough to have Ed Christopher, the town crier, to come and help us out. I always say he is a party in himself.

“We will have various pit stops and during those we’re going to stop and do some of the line-type dances like electric slide so people can come out and do it with us.

“We’re just encouraging everybody to come out. Or if they can’t, organise something of your own, just make sure that day that you are doing something to get moving,” Dr Lewin added.

Bermuda has been observing Move for Health Day since it’s inception by the World Health Organisation in 2002.

“Physical activity and health eating are central components or factors in combating overweight and obesity,” Dr Lewin said, adding that the event also falls in line with the Well Bermuda strategy and the Move More Bermuda initiative. “We want to do anything that is going to help us to get moving and to eat well.”

According to the Steps to a Well Bermuda 2014 survey, 27.1 per cent of adults were not meeting the WHO recommended minutes of physical activity.

“For adults it’s 150 minutes per week and for children it’s 60 minutes per day,” Dr Lewin said.

She added that physical activity and exercise “are two different things”.

“When we talk about physical activity we’re talking about anything like active transportation, playing, doing household chores, recreational activities. Exercise is just one component.”

Move for Health Day aims to improve awareness of the importance of physical activity and to advocate its benefits, to increase population-wide physical activity and to promote healthy behaviour and lifestyles. “That’s the main gist behind it but most people are just going to see it as a fun time,” Dr Lewin said.

Ms Beach-Johnson said this year’s theme was inspired by a “fabulous” YouTube video of people “dance-walking” through New York that has gone viral and started a global movement since it was posted in 2012.

The one-hour event starts at the Ministry of Health headquarters on Church Street at 12pm. Participants will make their way along Court Street, Front Street, Queen Street, Reid Street and Burnaby Street to the entrance of the Washington Mall on Church Street.

Pit-stops will be at the corner of Church Street and Parliament Street, Church Street and Court Street, Court Street and Front Street, the Birdcage, the entrances to Washington Mall and the corner of Reid Street and Burnaby Street.

• For more information about the event, click on the PDF link under “Related Media”