Physical Activity

Incorporating exercise into your life can increase your mood and physical wellness. Make exercise fun! A small amount of time to your weekly schedule can reap rewards that may last a lifetime. Regular exercise can improve your heart health, reduce your risk of developing diabetes while simultaneously strengthening your bone and muscles. Exercise can also help relieve stress, improve sleep and cognition.

How much time is needed to accomplish these benefits? Surprisingly, only a modest amount. It is recommended that adults achieve 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity, physical activity each week. This includes a combination of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Aerobics increase your resting heart rate, make you breath deeper and trigger the sweat response. Traditional aerobic activities include: Brisk walking, jogging and running, swimming and bicycle riding. Each of these can be done whenever you want or join a club for extra motivation. Try something different! Dance classes, recreational soccer, basketball and tennis will get your heart rate up and add a new social dimension.  Muscle-strengthening fortifies your bones and joints, increases your mobility and stability while generating sleek new muscle tissue. Build new muscle with weightlifting, resistance bands or body weight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, planks and jumping lunges.    

For more information:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Exercise and Physical Activity Tracking Tools
• SHAPE America 
• US Department of Agriculture - Exercise and Fitness