HealthyLife Articles

Category: Be Fit

5 Reasons To Be Active

Fitness

1. Physical health: Regular physical activity lowers your risk of many chronic diseases.

2. Mental health: Doing aerobic or a mix of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities 3 to 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes can:

– Lower your risk of depression and help treat it

– Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age

3. Social health: Exercise with others to be social and build healthy relationships.

4. Spiritual health: Yoga and tai chi help promote a sense of inner peace and connection to your environment.

5. Fiscal health: Build a stronger immune system to avoid the medical costs of getting sick and having to take time off from work.

Take Action: Be Active Weekly Guidelines

1. Do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walkingOR

2. 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity, such as joggingAND

3. Muscle strengthening exercises using all major muscle groups on 2 or more days.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Find The Fun In Fitness

Fitness

Chances are if you enjoy the physical activities you do, you will do them more often.

* Do activities you had fun with in your youth. Did you like to swim? Play soccer? Hula hoop? Jump rope? Play hopscotch? Do these with your kids and grandkids. Do them on your own.

* Get fit with a friend or family member. Walk together. Take a yoga class together.

* Join a dance or other class or sports team. People count on you to show up.

* Take part in an awareness event, such as Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure™!

* Walk the dog! If you don’t have one, walk with your neighbor when he or she walks the dog.

* Work outdoors doing activities you enjoy. Garden. Wash the car.

* Walk or pedal indoors while you watch your favorite TV show.

* For birthdays or special rewards, ask for gifts that will help make it fun for you to exercise, such as new workout clothes.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Ready, Set, Goal

Fitness

Set short-term & long-term fitness goals.

If you haven’t exercised for years, the odds that you will run a marathon soon are against you. Not that you can’t do it, if you start training now. However, a better motivator might be to set short-term goals that allow you to build up strength and endurance to get what you ultimately want.

Ready

Just saying you want to exercise more isn’t enough. Be specific about how much exercise you want to do, how much time you plan to spend on it, and how you will measure your results.

Set

Set a specific long-term goal. For example, “Within six months, I want to compete in a 15-mile walk,” or “In three months, I will be able to walk for 60 minutes a day, six times a week.”

Next, set the short-term goals that will get you there. For example, walk 15 minutes a day, three times a week, for two weeks. Then increase your walking times and the number of days you walk until you reach your goal.

Goal

Before you know it, you’ll feel proud that you reached your short-term goal. And you’ll feel better and have more energy!

Use SMART tips for setting goals

* Specific – Know what, why, and how you are going to accomplish your goals.

* Measurable – What tools will you use to measure your successes? Inches lost? Better stamina?

* Attainable – Choose goals within your reach. Setting sights too high can become discouraging.

* Realistic – Do you have the skills, the ability and an OK from your doctor to reach these goals?

* Timely – Set a timeframe for each goal. Some you can achieve in two days. Others will take two weeks or two months.

Action Step

As you meet your short-term goals, reward yourself with anything that promotes your progress, such as a new pair of shoes.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Working In Exercise While At Work

Fitness

Move more, even when you sit.

Chances are you don’t have one of those newfangled treadmill desks in your office. That shouldn’t stop you from adding exercise into your work schedule. If you get breaks, use them to march up and down the stairs or walk around the building a few times. Or, go into an empty conference room and pound out some pushups. While you probably won’t get enough of a workout for one day’s needs, short stints of exercise add up.

Don’t just stand there.

Waiting for the coffee to brew? Burst into a 60-second aerobic routine that includes side stepping or marching in place. Or, squat and stand as the copy machine spits out your papers. And, perhaps just to freak out co-workers, strike a warrior pose in the break room. See if you can hold it for a minute without talking (or laughing).

Do sitting-down-on-the-job exercises.

From a seated position, you can:

* Tighten your abs and buttocks with periodic squeezes.

* Push shoulder blades toward each other and hold to stretch your back.

* Stretch both arms over your head. Reach, reach, reach.

* Extend your legs in front of you and hold.

* Extend your legs, than draw your knees to your chest. Repeat and feel the burn in your abs.

* Turn your head to the left, torso to the right, hold. Repeat on the other side.

* Extend your arms straight out and move them slowly around in smaller to larger circles, forward then backward.

* Place both hands on your chair arms and slowly lift your bottom.

Action Step

Put a sticky note in your workspace that reminds you to stretch, bend, and move throughout your workday. Use exercise options offered to you at work.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Bike Safety

BE FIT

Bike sales have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bicycling is great exercise! However, it’s important to keep yourself safe while on two wheels. Collisions can and do occur, and some can be serious.

To minimize your risk of injury while riding a bicycle:

*Wear a helmet.Studies show that a helmet lowers your risk of serious head and brain injuries by 85%. Make sure it is snug on your head. It should have a chin strap that stays in place.

*Ride right.Use the right shoulder of the road and follow traffic signs and signals. Signal your turns with your arm so drivers know what you’re doing.

*Use a bike lane if there is one.If not, try to choose wide roads with less traffic and lower speed limits. When a lane is too narrow for a car and bike to safely ride side by side, you will need to ride toward the middle of the road.

*Be aware.Sometimes drivers don’t see you. Be careful at intersections and when riding next to parked cars and in parking lots.

*Don’t use headphones.It’s important to be able to hear cars coming from behind you so you can react safely and move over if needed.

*Wear bright colors and use reflectors.This will make it easier for drivers to see you.

*Don’t ride.It is dangerous to cycle if you’ve been drinking alcohol or using drugs.

*Cover your toes.Don’t wear sandals or flip flops while riding.

*Bring water.Most bikes have a water bottle holder. Drink often to avoid dehydration, especially on longer rides.

*Keep kids safe.Children should not ride on roads with traffic. Keep young bike riders in areas that are away from cars.

Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Find The Energy To Exercise

BE FIT

Too tired to work out? Try these tips to boost energy and get moving.

1. Move around. At work, try to switch between sitting and standing. Doing too much of one or the other may leave you feeling drained.

2. Sip lots of water. Starting in the morning, drink water and keep drinking it throughout the day. This can keep energy levels from sinking in the afternoon.

3. Eat healthy carbs. Choose whole grains, fruits and vegetables, such as carrots.

4. Watch your breathing. Slow, deep breaths can relax and energize you throughout the day.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Stay Fit For Life By Getting Flexible

BE FIT

Flexibility is your range of motion throughout the joints of your body. A rigid joint may not function well and can limit your ability to move with ease.

A healthy range of motion allows you to bend down to tie your shoes or reach up high to get something out of a cabinet. If you want to move well, you need to be flexible!

Tips to improve flexibility

* Stretch your muscles daily.

* Take regular stretch breaks, especially after long periods of inactivity.

* Make time to stretch after you exercise when your muscles are warm.

* Hold each stretch for about 90 seconds.

* Only stretch to the point of “comfortable discomfort,” never pain.

* Breathe deeply and relax while stretching.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Be Mindful Of…Inspired Fitness

Fitness

We all know exercise is good for us, but sometimes we need something more to get us up and moving. How about finding a cause that speaks deeply to you – breast cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, mental health, etc. There’s likely a fitness-related fundraiser in your area to benefit a worthy cause along with inspiring you to reach your fitness goals.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Find Your Fitness Personality

Fitness

Body type isn’t the only trait that determines which activities are best for you, though. You’ve probably already given some thought to what you’d like, based on whether you prefer to do activities alone or in a group; competitive or noncompetitive activities, or outdoor or indoor activities.

Finding a fitness activity that suits your personality is also a big factor in how much you’ll enjoy exercise and stick with it long enough to reap the benefits. Do any of the following descriptions of fitness personalities sound like you? If so, read the “hint for success” that pertains to each one.

The Weekend Warrior

The weekend warrior is sedentary throughout the work week and binges on exercise or sports over the weekend. Hint: Add minimal activity (even as little as 15 minutes twice per week) during the week to help condition your heart and lungs, sustain muscular endurance, and prevent strains or injuries on the weekend.

The Fanatic

The fanatic thinks that if a moderate exercise is good, then a lot is better. He or she always tries to work out a little more, a lot harder, or more intensely than others, and feels anxious and irritable if he or she misses a workout. Hint: Fitness should be a pleasure, not an addiction or ball and chain.

The Social Butterfly

The social butterfly has difficulty sticking with a solo fitness program, and loves to chat and mingle with other participants in a group. Hint: Don’t always depend on group activities or other people to enable you to meet your fitness goals. Be willing to go it alone if you must.

The Cannonball

The cannonball jumps into a fitness program with a burst of energy and determination but loses enthusiasm a few weeks later. Hint: Don’t try to do too much, too soon, or you’ll probably burn out after 2 or 3 weeks. It takes 10 to 12 weeks to start to see the results of your efforts.

The Flipper

The flipper dabbles in one activity, then quickly abandons it for another, and is related to the cannonball. Sometimes he or she may remain inactive for long intervals between flurries of activity. Hint: Real fitness results from consistent efforts, over the long term.

The Analyst

The analyst loves exercise gadgets and equipment. He or she reads lots of fitness books and magazines and likes to talk about the benefits of exercise. Hint: This is not a problem if you actually pursue the activities you’re learning about. But remember, the important thing is to get out and move.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Safe Hiking Tips

Fitness

Playing it safe when doing day or overnight hiking starts with researching your destination, preparing for any possibilities, and letting people know where you are going and when you’ll return. Steer clear of remote or dangerous places. Bring non-perishable food to eat, or pack it so that cold food stays cold and hot foods remain hot to avoid food poisoning. Have a sporting goods store fit you for the right kind of hiking boots, to ensure you stay safe on the trail.

Be More Earth-Friendly

The concept of “leave no trace” means ethically caring for the natural world when we are in it. One key way is to make sure we leave little to no trace of our presence after we’ve enjoyed it.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026