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The following information is from the national Office of
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion about the
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines
recommend
that adults need at least 150 to 300 minutes of
moderate-intensity aerobic activity, like brisk walking or
fast dancing, each week. Adults also need
muscle-strengthening activity, like lifting weights or doing
push-ups, at least two days each week. Meeting those
recommendations in the Physical Activity Guidelines for
Americans consistently over time can lead to even more
long-term health benefits.
·
For youth, physical activity can help improve cognition,
bone health, fitness, and heart health. It can also reduce
the risk of depression.
·
For adults, physical activity helps prevent eight types of
cancer (bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus,
kidney, stomach, and lung); reduces the risk of dementia
(including Alzheimer’s disease), all-cause mortality, heart
disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and
depression; and improves bone health, physical function, and
quality of life.
·
For older adults, physical activity also lowers the risk of
falls and injuries from falls.
·
For pregnant women, physical activity reduces the risk of
postpartum depression.
·
For all groups, physical activity reduces the risk of
excessive weight gain and helps people maintain a healthy
weight.
New evidence shows that physical activity can help manage
more health conditions that Americans already have. For
example, physical activity can decrease pain for those with
osteoarthritis, reduce disease progression for hypertension
and type 2 diabetes, reduce symptoms of anxiety and
depression, and improve cognition for those with dementia,
multiple sclerosis, ADHD, and Parkinson’s disease.
Biking
When is the last time you rode a bike? Have you seen or used
the yellow bikes around Toledo? They were installed last
fall and now that the winter is breaking, it is a good time
to try out the bikes. For more information visit
http://gotchabike.com/tolego
Before your rent a yellow bike or dust off your own bike,
here is a quick reminder of bike safety rules:
·
Wear a bike helmet
·
Obey all traffic laws, signs and signals
·
Ride with the flow of traffic
·
Staff off sidewalks
·
Use your hand signals when turning and stopping
·
Yield to pedestrians
Bicyclists follow the same rules and responsibilities as
motorists. Bicycles have as much right as cars to be on the
road. A reminder to drivers to be careful around bikes!
·
Drivers yield to bicyclists as they would to motorists.
·
Be aware of surroundings and search for other vehicles,
including bicycles especially when pulling out of a parking
spot and opening your car door when parked on the street.
·
Obey the speed limit
·
Give bicyclists plenty of room when passing them.
Swimming
Swimming is a good way to exercise without adding extra
pressure on joints. If you do not swim, there are different
places in the Toledo area that offer swimming classes not
only to youth but also to adults.
Gardening
Vegetable gardening is beneficial to health and wellness by
adding physical activity to the day as well as tasty,
healthy vegetables. If physical limitations or chronic pain
keeps you from pursuing gardening or urban agriculture, this
class will help with ideas to make gardening more
accessible. The Brown Bag Lunch and Learn is scheduled for
April 10, 2019 from 12:00 – 1:30pm at the Toledo Botanical
Garden Conference Center, 5403 Elmer Drive, Toledo, OH
43615. Laura Akgerman, Disability Services Coordinator with
the OSU Ohio AgrAbility program will share on how to keep
gardening with creative solutions to continue working in
your garden or small farm with a disability, chronic pain or
other limitations. Participants are encouraged to bring
their brown bag lunch. Complimentary beverages will be
available. The event is free but please contact Amy Stone by
04/08/19 at 419-578-6783 to save your spot.
Looking for an online connection? Join the “Live Simply,
Live Well: Refresh your Wellness this Spring” 6 week email
wellness challenge for healthy living tips and encouragement
to help you make you most of this spring season. You will
receive twice-weekly email wellness messages. It runs from
April 8th – May 20th. Participation is
free, to sign up go to (case sensitive)
go.osu.edu/LucasSp19
or email Patrice
at powers-barker.osu.edu
Don’t miss the Minority Health Kickoff is scheduled on April
13, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Scott High School,
2400 Collingwood Blvd., Toledo Ohio 43620.
The event is open to all ages and will have various
community serving organizations available. Services
included: screenings for both youth and adults such as
vision, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and lead
will be provided free of charge. The event will include a
Youth Summit as well as a Community Wide Baby Shower. |
