Movement wins in new physical activity guidelines
By Tara Solomon-Smith
Kansas State University Research and Extension
With all the fitness fads and conflicting health advice flooding our news feeds, it can be hard to catch people’s attention with the physical activity messages that matter. The Move Your Way campaign can help.
This campaign was developed to share key recommendations from the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, released in November 2018. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, Move Your Way emphasizes personalized, practical strategies that people can use to fit more activity into their busy lives, while clearly communicating the amount and types of physical activity Americans need to stay healthy.
Key aspects of the guidelines include the following:
Additional health benefits related to brain health, 6 additional cancer sites and fall-related injuries;
Immediate and longer term benefits for how people feel, function and sleep;
New evidence shows that physical activity can help manage more health conditions that Americans already have;
Risks of sedentary behavior and their relationship with physical activity—move more and sit less;
Guidance for preschool children (ages 3 through 5 years) has been added—should be active throughout the day to enhance growth and development, aiming for 3 hours per day;
Recommended daily amount of physical activity for youth ages 6 through 17 continues at 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity;
Recommended amount of physical activity for adults remains 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and at least 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity;
We now know that any amount of physical activity has some health benefits which leads to the elimination of the requirement for physical activity of adults to occur in bouts of at least 10 minutes; and
Tested strategies that can be used to get the population more active
For example, at the individual level: Peer- or professional-led groups, support from others and using technology to track physical activity can improve physical activity levels.
At the community level: Schools and workplaces can implement policies that encourage activity and community leaders can work to ensure access to safe places indoors or outdoors to be physically active.
