HEALTHY CHANGES:
4 Steps Towards Overall Health

Step 1:
Understanding Your "Total Health"

Step 2:
Make the Commitment

Step 3:
Assessment & Goals

Step 4:
ACTION TOOL RESOURCE CENTER

Mental/Emotional Health
Social Health
Spiritual Health
Physical Health



 

 

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Step 4: RESOURCE TOOL CENTER

PHYSICAL HEALTH: Active Living



The evidence is growing and is more convincing than ever!
People of all ages who are generally inactive can improve their health and well-being by becoming active at a moderate-intensity on a regular basis.

Regular physical activity substantially reduces the risk of dying of coronary heart disease, the nation’s leading cause of death, and decreases the risk for stroke, colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. It also helps to control weight; contributes to healthy bones, muscles, and joints; reduces falls among older adults; helps to relieve the pain of arthritis; reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression; and is associated with fewer hospitalizations, physician visits, and medications. Moreover, physical activity need not be strenuous to be beneficial; people of all ages benefit from participating in regular, moderate-intensity physical activity, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking five or more times a week.

Can Everyone Benefit from Physical Activity?
The good news about regular physical activity is that everyone can benefit from it (USDHHS, 1996).

Older adults
No one is too old to enjoy the benefits of regular physical activity. Evidence indicates that muscle-strengthening exercises can reduce the risk of falling and fracturing bones and can improve the ability to live independently.

Parents and children
Parents can help their children maintain a physically active lifestyle by providing encouragement and opportunities for physical activity. Families can plan outings and events that allow and encourage everyone in the family to be active.

Teenagers
Regular physical activity improves strength, builds lean muscle, and decreases body fat. Activity can build stronger bones to last a lifetime.

People trying to manage their weight
Regular physical activity burns calories while preserving lean muscle mass. Regular physical activity is a key component of any weight-loss or weight management effort.

People with high blood pressure
Regular physical activity helps lower blood pressure.

People with physical disabilities, including arthritis
Regular physical activity can help people with chronic, disabling conditions improve their stamina and muscle strength. It also can improve psychological well-being and quality of life by increasing the ability
to perform the activities of daily life.

Everyone under stress, including persons experiencing anxiety or depression
Regular physical activity improves one’s mood, helps relieve depression, and increases feelings of wellbeing.


Talk Test

The talk test method of measuring intensity is simple. A person who is active at a light intensity level should be able to sing while doing the activity. One who is active at a moderate intensity level should be able to carry on a conversation comfortably while engaging in the activity. If a person becomes to winded or too out of breath to carry on a conversation, the activity can be considered vigorous.

For more information about activity intensity go to
CDC's Measuring Physical Activity Intensity

 

Physical Activity can Bring You Many Health Benefits

People who enjoy participating in moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity physical activity on a regular basis benefit by lowering their risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, and colon cancer by 30–50% (USDHHS, 1996). Additionally, active people have lower premature death rates than people who are the least active.

Regular physical activity can improve health and reduce the risk of premature death in the following ways:

 

Can a Lack of Physical Activity Hurt Your Health?

Evidence shows that those who are not physically active are definitely not helping their health, and may likely be hurting it. The closer we look at the health risks associated with a lack of physical activity, the more convincing it is that Americans who are not yet regularly physically active should become active.

Despite the proven benefits of physical activity, more than 50% of American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits. 25% of adults are not active at all in their leisure time. Activity decreases with age and is less common among women than men and among
those with lower income and less education. For detailed information about adult U.S. physical activity levels among demographic groups in a state or metropolitan area, search the U.S. Physical Activity Statistics database at the CDC web site list below.

Insufficient physical activity is not limited to adults. More than a third of young people in grades 9–12 do not regularly engage in vigorous-intensity physical activity. Daily participation in high school physical education classes dropped from 42% in 1991 to 32% in 2001 (CDC, 2002).

For more information about its importance go to
CDC's Importance of Physical Activity

 

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