Baycrest Health Sciences & Baycrest Foundation Publications
Issue link: http://baycrest.uberflip.com/i/1512077
12 • BrainMatters • Fall/Winter 2023 Ask pretty much any Canadian over 25. In all likelihood, they remember BodyBreak, those breezy, 90-second TV spots featuring Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod, who showed Canadians the importance of staying healthy. The series ran throughout the '90s and 2000s, but in a lot of ways, it feels like just yesterday: the catchy theme song; the flashy, nostalgia-inducing graphics; the friendly hosts with 100-gigawatt smiles. Hal and Joanne were the original fitness influencers (long before social media), a one-stop shop for health information, whether they were rollerblading, making fat-free coleslaw or offering us advice on how to prevent a heart attack. "I think we were ahead of our time, giving people information in a quick, fast way. A friend of mine said to me, 'You guys were YouTube before there was YouTube.' I thought, Oh yeah, I guess we were. We gave the audience short little clips with information. And then, boom, it was gone," says Hal. "As society changed, with social media and a lot more gadgets in our lives, our message stayed the same. Keep fit and have fun." This past spring, Hal and Joanne took part in the Mattamy Homes Bike for Brain Health in Support of Baycrest, which raised funding for the prevention, detection and treatment of dementia. As part of the fundraiser, participants had the opportunity to ride their bikes along the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway, zooming from lane to lane without any cars in the way, choosing a 25km, 50km or 75km circuit. Hal and Joanne zipped along the 50km route, before mingling with the other riders. For Hal and Joanne, the event was a big win-win, giving them a chance to support dementia research and show participants the importance of staying active. "As cyclists, we were very excited to do the ride. It was a great cause and Baycrest has so much history in terms of helping seniors," says Hal. "As you age, you need to keep your mind engaged as much as possible. Physical activity does that — it keeps you alert, aware." Recently, Hal and Joanne became obsessed with cycling. After Hal had a knee replacement a couple of years ago, cycling became a key part of his rehab, CYCLING TOWARDS BRAIN HEALTH: HOW HAL JOHNSON AND JOANNE MCLEOD KEEP FIT AND HAVE FUN