Healthy Weight and Physical Activity
Achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight and being physically active on most days of the week decreases your risk for chronic diseases. Some of these are type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure. heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, and some kinds of cancer.
Here are a few tips on weight management and physical activity:
- To lose body weight, you must burn more calories than you take in from foods and beverages you eat.Aim for a slow, steady weight loss by decreasing your calorie intake and increasing physical activity.
- To promote good health, mental well-being, and a healthy body weight, you need to engage in regular physical activity.
- To reduce your risk of chronic disease in adulthood you need to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week.
- To help manage body weight and prevent weight gain in adulthood, you need to do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity on most days of the week, while not eating more calories than your body needs.
- To keep from gaining back weight you have lost, you need to do at least 60 to 90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week, while not overeating.
Example:
| Moderate physical activity | Vigorous physical activity |
|---|---|
| *Gardening and yard work | *Running and jogging |
| *Dancing | *Bicycling >10 mph |
| *Brisk walking | *Swimming |
| *Bicycling < 10 mph | *Aerobics |
Lesson Contents
I. Introduction
II. My Pyramid: Basics
III. My Pyramid: Inside the Pyramid
- a. My Pyramid: Make Half Your Grains Whole
- b. My Pyramid: Vary Your Veggies
- c. My Pyramid: Focus on Fruits
- d. My Pyramid: Get Your Calcium Rich Foods
- e. My Pyramid: Go Lean with Protein!
- f. My Pyramid: Know the Limits on Fats, Salt, and Sugars
- g. My Pyramid: Discretionary Calories
IV. Healthy Weight and Physical Activity
