What You Need

Hello, I came across this article on Physical Activity for Adults in a newsletter at work. I found this information very helpful for me, as I enjoy walking, and I wanted to share it with any of you who are thinking of starting some type of a exercise routine. I know how hard it is to get started, but as they say, if you try something new for 30 days it will become a habit. I know it has become a habit for me because if I don't do my daily walk, I miss it, and I feel the effects of not having done it. Some things I have learned since I began walking too, is you have got to have patience with the results you want to achieve, and sometimes you may never fully achieve them, but you will eventually look and feel healthier. Just don't set too high of expectations on yourself to begin with and then those high expectations won't lead to disappointment in yourself and eventually giving up. So trust me, give some exercise a try, with all the benefits, it is truly what you need!
Thanks for visiting,
Janet :)

How much physical activity do adults need?

Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans ages 18-65, you need to do two types of physical activity each week to improve your health, aerobic and muscle-strengthening.

For Important Health Benefits
Adults need at least:

2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms)

1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., jogging or running) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms)

An equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and
muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms)

10 minutes at a time is fine
We know 150 minutes each week sounds like a lot of time, but you don't have to do it all at once. Not only is it best to spread your activity out during the week, but you can break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day. As long as you're doing your activity at a moderate or vigorous effort for at least 10 minutes at a time.

Give it a try
Try going for a 10-minute brisk walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week. This will give you a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity

Aerobic activity – what counts?
Walking fast
Doing water aerobics
Riding a bike on level ground
or with few hills
Playing doubles tennis
Pushing a lawn mower

Muscle-strengthening activities – what counts?
There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles,
whether it's at home or the gym. You may want to try
the following:


Lifting weights
Working with resistance bands
Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (i.e., push ups, sit ups)
Heavy gardening (i.e., digging, shoveling)
Yoga