Regular physical activity is good for everyone’s health, and people of all ages and body types can be physically active. National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is a great time to spread the word about the benefits of being active.
Here are just a few benefits of physical activity:
• Children and adolescents — Physical activity can improve muscular fitness and bone and heart health.
• Adults — Physical activity can lower risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. It can also help with maintaining or losing weight.
• Older adults — Physical activity can lower the risk of falls and improve cognitive functioning (like learning and judgment skills).
Help your family move more each day and have fun with it. Think about what your family can do to be active together. Here are some ideas.
Make Time
• Identify free times. Keep track of your daily activities for one week. Pick two 30-minute time slots you could use for family activity time.
• Add physical activity to your daily routine. For example, walk or ride your bike to work or a friend’s house, walk the dog with your children, exercise while you watch TV or park farther away from your destination.
• Try to walk, jog or swim during your lunch hour, or take fitness breaks instead of coffee breaks. Try doing something active after dinner with your family, or on weekends.
• Check out activities requiring little time. Try walking, jogging or stair climbing.
Bring Others Into It
Ask friends and family to support your efforts. Invite them to be active with you:
• Exercise with friends.
• Play with your kids or ask them to join you for an exercise video or fitness game.
• Develop new friendships with physically active people.
• Join a group, such as the YMCA or a hiking or biking club.
Energize Yourself
Plan to be active at times in the day or week when you feel you have a lot of energy. Convince yourself that if you give it a chance, physical activity will increase your energy level —then try it.
Stay Motivated
Plan ahead. Make physical activity a regular part of your family’s schedule. Write it on a family activity calendar.
Pick activities requiring no new skills, such as walking or climbing stairs.
Exercise with friends who are at the same skill level as you are. Create opportunities for your children to be active with friends.
Use Available Resources
Select activities that don’t need costly sports gear, such as walking, jogging, jumping rope or doing push-ups.
Identify inexpensive, local resources in your area, such as programs through your community center, park or recreation group or worksite.
Make the Most of
All Conditions
Develop a set of activities for you and your family that are always available regardless of weather, such as indoor cycling, indoor swimming, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking, dancing and active games that you can play indoors.
When the weather is nice, try outdoor swimming, jogging, walking or tennis.