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Can everyone benefit from physical activity?
"Do it, move it, make it happen. No one ever sat their way to
success." —Unknown
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 well-being.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2000 Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System Prevalence Data, 2002. Available at http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/brfss/
Accessed December 19, 2002.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth risk behavior
surveillance-United States, 2001. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
2002;51(SS-4):1-64.
Jones DA, Ainsworth BE, Croft JB, et al. Moderate leisure-time physical
activity: who is meeting the public health recommendations? A national
cross-sectional study. Archives of Family Medicine
1998;7(May/June):285-289.
Pate RR, Pratt M, Blair, SN, et al. Physical activity and public health:
a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
the American College of Sports Medicine. Journal of the American Medical
Association 1995;273(5):402-407.
Pratt M, Macera CA, Blanton C. Levels of physical activity and
inactivity in children and adults in the United States: current evidence
and research issues. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
1999;31(11):S526-S533.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical activity and
health: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 1996.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy people 2010:
understanding and improving health. (2nd ed.). Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS) 1996 & 1998. Active Community Environments.
Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2000.
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