DHSS Press Release

FOUR STRATEGIES FOR GETTING YOUR MOVE ON

DOVER (Aug. 22, 2014) – Delaware’s Division of Public Health (DPH) encourages Delaware’s families to get outdoors and physically active. The good news is the choice is yours – from old-fashioned games, to sports, to moving yourself from place to place. Although any increase in physical activity can be helpful, the ideal amount is a total of 60 minutes daily for both children and adults, which can be done with a variety of fun and healthy activities. And, parents can help create a lifetime of good habits by modeling physical activity for their kids.

In Delaware, 58.6 percent of public high school students do not meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Inadequate physical activity has many health consequences. In the Survey of Children’s Health in Delaware, conducted in 2011 by Nemours Health & Prevention Services, 55.2 percent of children ages 2-17 did not meet the guideline.

Four general groups of exercise are movement, muscle strengthening, bone strengthening, and stretching activities.

Large muscle movement uses oxygen to burn both carbohydrates and fats. This causes the body to use more oxygen than it would as if in a state of rest. The goal of this exercise is to work the heart by increasing cardiovascular endurance. Examples are:

• Riding a bike. Take back your first real feeling of freedom.
• Enjoy a good dip in the pool. If you don’t enjoy laps, tread water in the deep end or do cannon balls off the diving board.
• Engage friends and family in a game of Frisbee or squirt-gun tag.
• Walking or hiking increases your heart rate and respiration. Take along music for some added enjoyment and pump your fists.

Muscle-strength training activities typically involve weight-bearing exercises, which build muscle and physical strength through short, strenuous bursts. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Most often, push-ups and sit-ups come to mind, but there are many other options:

• Climbing a tree – this compound exercise works multiple muscle groups. To reach new heights, you will use your lower body muscles while engaging your core and upper body muscles.
• Have races on monkey bars. Proclaim yourself king (or queen) by hanging all your weight and taking on challengers across the length and back. Last one back is a rotten egg!

Bone-strengthening activities: Feet, legs, and arms support your body’s weight, and your muscles push against your bones, making your bones strong. Try these bone strengthening activities:

• Jumping rope is great for bones. Try double Dutch jump roping to music or rhyme.
• Playing hopscotch uses the same core muscle groups as jumping rope but at a low intensity level. Bending or squatting to retrieve the ground markers stretches other muscles.
• Sack races may seem like they are more fun than exercising, and that’s the idea! Set up an obstacle course in the yard and go for it.

Stretching or flexibility training improves your joints’ range of motion, which may help improve your athletic performance and decrease your risk of injury. Since stretching increases blood flow to muscles, it should never be overlooked in any physical activity regimen. Follow these tips:

• Focus on major muscle groups: calves, thighs, hips, back, shoulders, and neck.
• Don’t bounce.
• Hold your stretch, counting to 30 on each side. Expect to feel tension, not pain.
• Stretch regularly (two or three times weekly) for maximum benefits.
• Add gentle movements (think of tai chi or yoga).

For more information and links about physical activity, nutrition and obesity prevention, visit DPH’s Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention Program website: http://dhsss.delaware.gov/dph/dpc/panohome.html or www.getupanddosomething.org/

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.