Well, well, well... here we are... a whole month specifically dedicated to physical fitness. Health observances are all over the calendar, but nothing says spring and new beginnings quite like fitness. Whether you are starting from scratch or tweaking your routine, May is the month to do it!
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services encourages physical activity through its Move Your Way campaign. The campaign was developed to target people who are in the contemplation stage of adding fitness to their lives. It’s designed to put us over the hump to take action and begin regular physical activity. Within the campaign are Physical Activity Guidelines. Guideline definitions can be misinterpreted. The main theme is 150 minutes of physical activity each week for adults. Some in the contemplation stage see 150 minutes and are turned off immediately. If you know someone that falls in that category, here’s how to soften the blow. The activity is anything physical. It can be a 10-minute walk or basic calisthenics and stretching. The message is that the activity is cumulative. Also, the activity doesn’t necessarily need to be a full-blown fitness routine, class, or training session. Take the whole week into consideration and plan for short nibbles off the 150 minutes versus two or three, 1-hour sessions.
If you are already physically active, use this month to add to or change up your routine. The benefits of trying different things will give you two primary benefits. The first is physical. Doing the exact same thing over and over is great, but as soon as you add variety, your body has to adjust. You will notice the training effect of adjusting your routine (i.e. muscle soreness). The second benefit is more mental. Approach the routine change as a challenge. Accomplishing anything is a self-efficacy boost when faced with future challenges. Believing you can succeed is, many times, more important than the action itself. In other words, you will tell yourself “I got this” more often.
Now comes the soapbox that you have been waiting for. Physical fitness is not just an observance on the calendar. It’s safe to say that everyone would answer “yes” when asked if exercise and physical activity is beneficial to health. Observing or recognizing its importance to health is not enough. It takes action, literally. Everyone is capable of making physical activity part of their lifestyles. Everyone agrees that it is important for health. So, why isn’t everyone doing it? That’s the million-dollar question. The only person(s) that can answer that question is the individual not participating. There are numerous time-management excuses. Some may be valid. It comes down to simply making better health a priority. Each individual makes the choice. If you haven’t already, use this year’s Physical Fitness and Sports Month to make the only correct choice and start moving your way.
