Physical activity helps to improve health

Why the majority of people in the U.S. do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity is hard to say. The reasons are individual and personal. Many people also have barriers to physical activity. These barriers can include transportation, time or the perception that they need money to join a gym. People’s ideas about physical activity are hard to change. “People are afraid of the word ‘exercise,’” says Dr. Ross. “It makes them think of being in pain, sweaty or even embarrassed.”
Dr. Ross’s research involves physical activity promotion and obesity prevention in children and youths, focusing on Latino populations. She is now enrolling families in a program she developed called ÁNDALE Pittsburgh. The program involves training community health workers to go to people’s homes. They share information about and do an activity focused on a health topic. They do some goal-setting with the families, engage in a physical activity and prepare a recipe. “We’re trying to support families and give them the knowledge and tools to promote their health, growth and development,” she says. (Information about enrolling in ÁNDALE Pittsburgh can be found elsewhere on the page.)
Dr. Ross says that a lot of research now focuses on sedentary behavior—too much sitting. “Not everyone has to go to the gym for an hour a day. Doing 10-minute bouts of brisk activity throughout the day gives similar benefits,” she says. “I’m a physical activity researcher, and I don’t go to the gym. I can follow exercise videos at home, play with my children, walk my dog and I like to go biking and hiking. It’s all about finding what activity you like to do and finding chunks of time in your day.”
Going to the gym may work for some people. For people who cannot afford or who do not want to go to a gym, Dr. Ross has several recommendations for people to insert more physical activity into their lives:
•If you have a job that requires you to sit most of the day, get up and take a short walk every 30-60 minutes. Pace while you are on the phone. Get a standing desk, if possible.
•Take your children to the park. Instead of sitting down on a bench, walk around or play with them.
•Park your car farther away from store entrances to get in some extra walking.
•If you watch TV, do jumping jacks or march in place during commercial breaks.
•If you enjoy family time, find an activity you can do with your family instead of watching a movie together.
•Find social support. Friends or loved ones can be active with you and keep you accountable.
•If time is a barrier, schedule physical activity time on your calendar.
•Cold weather is often cited as a barrier to physical activity. Dress warmly to enjoy winter walks, sledding, building a snowman, ice skating, walking in a mall, following an exercise video on YouTube or shoveling snow.
•Using a basic pedometer might encourage you to take the recommended 10,000 steps per day.
•Do housework or yard work briskly.
“Remember that physical activity can often be fun,” says Dr. Ross. “Find something you like to do and stick with it.”
 
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