Keeping Active
Physical Activity will:
- Improve heart health
- Increase bone density
- Decrease stress
- Promote better sleep
- Increase flexibility and balance
- Help maintain healthy body weight
- Help protect against diabetes
Fitness Lingo:
- Cardio-respiratory endurance - increased heart and lung capacity: Aerobic exercises (walking, running, treadmill, jumping rope, biking, dancing)
- Muscular strength - ability to lift/push an object: Weight lifting, isometrics, pilates, aerobic exercises
- Muscular endurance - extended use of muscles: Aerobic exercises, weight training, calisthenics
- Flexibility - moving a joint through a full range of motion: Yoga, tai chi, pilates, ballet
Improving Your Fitness
- Adults need 30 to 90 minutes of daily activity
- Kids need 60 minutes of daily activity
- Aim for moderate or vigorous intensity activities
- Moderate: Cause light sweating, slight to moderate increase in breathing or heart rate
- Vigorous: Cause heavy sweating, large increase in breathing or heart rate
- Check with your doctor before starting these activities
- Wear a pedometer. Aim for 10,000 steps a day.
Keep Active, But Have Fun!
- Start a walking group
- Take walking breaks throughout the day
- Park farther away in store parking lots
- Walk or bike for trips less than 1 mile
- Avoid the drive-through
- Take the stairs
- Walk inside (the mall)
- Turn off the TV and go out to play with the dog or kids
- Walk while your kids play sports
- Walk while you are on the phone
Keep Active With Your Family
- Limit the time spent on sedentary activities: TV, computer or video games
- Build fitness into daily family activities
- Go for family bicycle rides or walks around the neighborhood, visit playgrounds, enjoy pick-up games of basketball or kickball
- Walk your kids to school or to their bus stop
- Encourage kids to play outside
- Encourage sports as extracurricular activities
- Focus on fun, not skill of activity
- Plan active vacations
Lesson Contents
I. It's a Family Affair: Introduction
II. It's a Family Affair: Facts about Weight
III. It's a Family Affair: Making Healthy Food & Physical Activity Changes
IV. It's a Family Affair: Appropriate Serving Sizes
V. It's a Family Affair: Preparing Healthy Meals
VI. It's a Family Affair: Dining Out
VII. It's a Family Affair: Family Mealtime Behaviors
VIII. It's a Family Affair: Keeping Active
VIII. It's a Family Affair: References
