Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Physical Fitness and Sports Month

#MoveInMay is the theme created by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition (PCFSN). This month everyone is encouraged to be more active and adopt a healthier lifestyle consisting of physical activity and good nutrition.

Being more active is half of the puzzle to adopting a healthier lifestyle. Whether it is going to the gym, joining a sport or camp, or even walking the dog, it is important to stay and be active. Obesity has been on the rise and affects about one-third of adults (33.8%) and approximately 12.5 million (17%) children between the ages of 2 and 19 years old. Physical activity not only helps prevent obesity it also can improve sleep patterns, increase energy, improve brain function, reduce stress, and promote strong bone, muscle, and joint development. Don’t think that just because you can’t go to a gym and “workout” that you can’t be more physically active. Try talking walks around the neighborhood or playing some different games outside like catch or kickball. These are all great ways to improve physical activity and to help you adopt a healthier lifestyle. Here are some more ways to increase your physical activity https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/be-active/ways-to-be-active/index.html

The second half of the puzzle is to create good nutritional habits. Good nutrition combined with physical activity can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight and help reduce our risk for developing chronic diseases. You don’t need to make drastic changes to your diet or eat all different foods to improve your nutrition. Here are a few quick tips to help improve your diet. First start by making half of your plate consist of fruits and vegetables. Try to add all different color fruits and vegetables to help get a good mix of different vitamins and minerals. Secondly, try to drink more water. Start by cutting out 1-2 sugary drinks a day and substituting it for water. Finally, cutting back on deserts and other sugary treats can help reduce the amount of fats you take in. Here are some more tips for developing a better diet https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/eat-healthy/how-to-eat-healthy/index.html

Here is more information on the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/index.html

-Matthew D’Antonio, DPT, PT

-Pediatric Physical Therapist