May is National Physical Fitness & Sports Month, a time to celebrate and promote physical activity and the benefits of sports participation.
Physical activity is key to maintaining health and well-being. Getting active has immediate health benefits. For example, physical activity can reduce anxiety, depression and blood pressure, improve quality of sleep and insulin sensitivity, and reduce risk for many chronic diseases.
Want to move more but not sure where to start? The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion is here to help with the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans! This documents provides key guidelines for how every age group can best move for their health and wellbeing. For instance, here are the key guidelines for adults:
- Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Some physical activity is better than none. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits.
For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Preferably, aerobic activity should be spread throughout the week.- Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond the equivalent of 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.
- Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity and that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these activities provide additional health benefits.
We have a lot of fitness-related resources available at the library to help you on your fitness journey! Below are just a handful of options we wanted to highlight for you. Stop by to pick up any of these titles or place a hold online by following the corresponding links below.
Sweat : a history of exercise by Bill Hayes- Stretching for beginners : improve flexibility and relieve aches and pains with 75 exercises and 24 simple routines by Natasha Diamond-Walker and Philip Striano, DC
- Restorative yoga : Relax. Restore. Re-energize by Caren Baginski
- Rebuild your bones : a 12-week plan to build strong bones & reclaim your health by Mira Calton, CN, Jayson Calton, PhD.
- 50 hikes with kids : California by Wendy Gorton
- 6-minute fitness at 60+ : simple home exercises to reclaim strength, balance, and energy in 15 days by Dr. Jonathan Su, DPT
- The Power of Movement
- Dancing is the best medicine : the science of how moving to a beat is good for body, brain, and soul [electronic book] by Julia F. Christensen & Dong-Seon Chang ; translation by Katharina Rout
Did you know we have fitness equipment that you can borrow from the library? Stop by to check out any of these items to spruce up your workout!
