Get Moving Toward Good Health
Did You Know?
If you find it difficult to dedicate 30 minutes at a time to being active, you can break it up into 10-minute bouts throughout the day. Just be sure you are working at a moderate or vigorous intensity.
Being active is important for your health. It can help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight, lower disease risk, improve your mood and even help you sleep better. But, did you know, it can also be fun?
There are any number of activities that can help you get fit quickly while having fun. Whether it's dancing, military-inspired workouts or even long-distance running, there's never been a better time to get active and get healthy. Just pick an activity you enjoy and you'll be more likely to stick with it. Here's what you need to know!
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focus on helping people of all ages meet physical activity requirements. For healthy adults age 18 to 64, the recommendations include:
| Aerobic Activity | |
| Moderate-Intensity For moderate-intensity activities, participate in at least 150 minutes each week. That is 30 minutes, five days per week. |
Vigorous-Intensity If you choose vigorous-intensity activity, you should participate in at least 75 minutes each week |
In addition to aerobic activity, adults should also participate in muscle-strengthening activities.
| Muscle Strengthening Activity | |
|---|---|
| These activities should be performed two days per week, working all major muscle groups including legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms. | |
| Do 8-12 repetitions of each exercise to equal one set. You should aim for 2-3 sets of each exercise. | |
| You can do muscle strengthening activities on the same day as aerobic activity. You need at least one day of rest in between days of muscle strengthening activity. | |
Here are some examples of activities that can help you reach your weekly goals.
| Moderate-Intensity Activities | Vigorous-Intensity Activities |
|---|---|
| Ballroom and line dancing | Aerobic dance |
| Biking on level ground | Biking faster than 10 mph |
| General gardening | Heavy gardening |
| Tennis | Running, jogging or race walking |
| Walking briskly | Sports with a lot of running like basketball, hockey or soccer |
To determine if you are exercising at a moderate or vigorous intensity, use the "talk test." Here's how - when exercising at a moderate-intensity, you should be able to to talk but not sing. If you're exercising at a vigorous-intensity, you should only be able to say a few words without stopping to catch your breath.
Learn more about the Physical Activity Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute also offers information on activities that can help you meet the physical activity recommendations.
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