Activity Tips

  • Use Your Feet

    • Walk with your kids to school, or walk to the store or around the neighborhood. Whenever you can, skip the elevators and escalators and pump up your leg muscles by walking the stairs.

  • Get Out and Play

    • Active play like shooting hoops, riding bikes, throwing a frisbee, or playing hopscotch are fun ways to be active—for kids and adults alike. Being active together is a great way to spend time as a family.

  • Schedule Activity Time

    • Make an “appointment” for physical activity—and keep it. Encourage kids to enjoy active time instead of screen time after school. Household chores can help promote activity, such as gardening, mowing the lawn, vacuuming, or walking the dog.

  • Do Two Things at Once

    • While you talk on the phone or watch TV, do stretching, lift weights, or do active household chores. Or walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike as you read or catch up on the news.

 

Heart-Healthy Activity

Being active helps keep your blood pumping and your heart and body healthy. And it can help give you energy to do the things you want and need to do. To prepare for a life of good health, children need to learn how to make physical activity part of their daily routine. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans1 recommend that people of all ages spend time each day being physically active.

  • Children and teens: Participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. On at least 3 days per week, include muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups or sit-ups, as part of the 60 minutes.
  • Adults: Aim for at least 30 minutes each day for a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. Include muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.

Examples of moderate-intensity activities include walking briskly, dancing, raking leaves, gardening, and jumping rope—or any activity that involves moving the large muscles in your arms and legs. If an activity is more vigorous, you can achieve the same health benefits in a shorter amount of time. The great thing about physical activity is that you can do it any time and almost anywhere. No matter what your age or stage of life, there are plenty of ways to fit in physical activity.

 

Please check with your health care provider before beginning a new physical activity program.

References

  1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2008. http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/. Last Updated: Nov 4, 2009 (Accessed: Sept 9, 2010).