Physical Activity Guidelines

Adult Guidelines

According to the guidelines, most adults could gain substantial health benefits from 2 1/2 hours of weekly moderate intensity exercise, such as brisk walking or gardening. For more physically fit adults, 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, such as swimming laps, hiking uphill or race-walking can offer similar health benefits in half the time.

Think you can’t carve out time for exercise during a busy day?

Research shows that even 10-minute bouts of heart-pumping activity are better than none at all. To regain lost lean muscle mass and strengthen weakening bones, which is part of the normal aging process, the experts recommend that adults also lift weights twice a week.

Children’s Guidelines

When was the last time you saw children congregate on your neighborhood streets to play a game of hide and seek or hopscotch? If you’re scratching your head, winter is a perfect time to get outside when the temperatures are coolest....especially in the South.

Children should spend at least an hour a day doing brisk activities, such as hiking or bicycle riding, including three days of higher-intensity aerobic activity. So why not engage the whole family in a challenging snowball fight, long hike or bicycle ride to burn calories together and enrich your family time spend together?

Parents should also encourage their children to do activities that strengthen muscles and bones, such as climbing on ropes, jumping rope, running and skipping. And that goes for the entire year.

One-Third of American Children are Overweight

Today, only about 26 percent of U.S. adults engage in vigorous leisure-time physical activity three or more times a week. And for the first time Americans are raising children who may grow up even less healthy than their parents. With one-third of American children being overweight and 16 percent being obese, this generation of youngsters will be facing serious health problems earlier in life without intervention.

U.S. adults aren’t faring much better. More than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese; and more than half don’t engage in any exercise to help their health. It is estimated that by the year 2030, 86 percent of Americans could be overweight or obese. That is a frightening number and one that we all have control over.

"Life does not put things in front of you that you are unable to handle."