Do Right!®

Fitness For All Ages

Fitness is important in many aspects of life. It is the key to good health, which affects how you live your life, and it is useful to your life in many other ways.

Along with eating healthy, exercising every day can keep your body fit and reduce your chances of heart attack or stroke. A healthy body usually results in a longer, more enjoyable life, free from worry about obesity and other illnesses like diabetes. A healthy body can make you feel younger and more active. Below are useful tips to keep yourself and your children active.

Tips for Family Activities

• Ask grandparents to teach you and your youngster how to play a game they remember from their childhood, such as kick the can or stickball.

• Go on a family bike ride through a local park. Visit a museum or the zoo and walk, walk, walk.

• Interest imaginative youngsters in an active game of charades.

• Make homemade instruments by putting dried beans or pasta inside plastic containers. Turn on some music, and shake the instruments while dancing or parading around.

Fitness for Children

Fitness for children is important to maintaining your child’s health and weight. Did you know?

• Children are recommended to participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
• 61.5% of children between the ages of 9 and 13 do not participate in organized physical activity during non-school hours.
• 22.6% of children between the ages of 9 and 13 do not participate in any free-time physical activity.

Here are some great activities for children

• Biking
• Jumping rope
• Hiking
• Walking, jogging, or running
• Joining a sports team (basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, football, cross country, track and field, gymnastics, etc.)
• Swimming
• Dancing (line, salsa, stomping, ballet, jazz, etc.)
• Roller Skating/Roller blading
• Yard work
• Walking your dog
• Flying a kite
• Playing tag with friends
• Hula Hoop
• Frisbee
• Hopscotch
• Anything to get them moving!

Below are recommended websites for helping your child achieve better activity in their life:

• The President’s Challenge- Find the activity that is right for you. Track your progress and you can earn rewards.
• CDC About Body Mass Index (BMI) for children and teens (ages 2-19). BMI is a measure using height and weight as an indicator for body fat.
• BMI calculator for children and teens (ages 2-19).
• CDC body and mind (BAM) - section on physical activity has an activity calendar, activity cards, etc.
• Playworks- Play is essential to child development and an invaluable tool for improving school climate. And quality recess and playtime also helps children return to the classroom more focused and ready to learn

Fitness for Adults

Activity for adults is just as important as it is for children. Did you know the following?

• Adults need approximately 30 minutes of activity (other than usual daily activity) most days of the week.
• Daily physical activity is beneficial to men and women in all age groups.
• Adults with chronic health problems (i.e. heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc.), those at risk for chronic health problems, as well as men over 40 years of age and women over 50 years of age should consult with their physician prior to beginning a physical activity program.

Here are some great activities for adults

• Yard work (gardening, cutting the grass, etc.)
• House work
• Playing outside with your kids
• Going for a walk with a neighbor or friend
• Taking your dog to the park or for a walk
• Going for a bike ride
• Hiking
• Aerobics class
• Jogging or running
• Line dancing
• Strength training
• Joining an adult recreational sports team
• Anything you can think of that gets you moving!

Below are great websites for helping adults achieve better activity in their life:

• United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service- Calorie Burner Chart lists average calories burned during certain physical activities.
• CDC General Physical Activities Defined by Level of Intensity- provides various activities and their intensity level.
• USDA My Pyramid Tracker- Assess food intake and physical activity with free registration
• American on the Move- Challenges you, your family, and your community to take small steps and make small changes to a healthier way of life