President’s Council award recognizes ‘Sit and Be Fit’ creator

Spokane’s Mary Ann Wilson, founder of “Sit and Be Fit,” has gained recognition beyond the nationwide airing of her series on PBS stations.

Wilson recently won kudos as a 2019 recipient of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Community Leadership Award.

The council presented the community leadership award to 31 recipients nationwide this year. It’s given to individuals and organizations making impacts through work in an area of the council’s mission, by serving their communities through sports, physical activity, fitness and nutrition-related programs.

Wilson is the creator and host of the award-winning public television exercise series “Sit and Be Fit.” The program, produced at Spokane’s KSPS-TV, has aired on PBS stations since 1987.

Wilson’s program helps viewers maintain or regain functional fitness and can be seen locally on KSPS at 11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday. Her show is a half-hour medically based exercise program focusing on slow, gentle movement for older adults. All the exercises can be done from a chair.

Wilson, a registered nurse, stood out because she has consistently promoted opportunities for people to lead healthy lifestyles through “Sit and Be Fit,” said the council’s press release.

The council is a federal advisory committee supported by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. It works to increase sports participation among youth of all backgrounds and abilities and to promote healthy and active lifestyles for all Americans.