Special Olympics Arkansas will kick off a new challenge on Sept. 1, encouraging families to live healthier lives. The Fit Families Challenge is a six-week program designed for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families or support networks.

After signing up, families will receive a packet that includes pedometers, t-shirts, a list of suggested physical activities, a nutrition guidebook, family commitment cards and a monthly health-themed newsletter. Participants are encouraged to follow a nutrition calendar and engage in 15 minutes of physical activity four times a week.

Families also track their progress in monthly submitted journals that look at weight, blood pressure and other health indicators. Each family member's success will be celebrated with incentives.

The Fit Families Challenge officially kicks off on Sept. 1, but registration is ongoing and families can sign up at any time. For more info and to sign up, click here.

(Pictured above: We featured Jessica Askins, an athlete with the Special Olympics, in the June 2012 edition of Little Rock Special Family. Read her full story here.)