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What is your New Year’s Resolution?
One of the most popular resolutions is engaging in more physical activity.
Moving matters for your health in many ways, so it’s no wonder that increasing physical activity makes it to the top of the goal list for many people every year.
However, being more physically active is easier said than done.
Let’s explore some of the health benefits of physical activity and go over some ways to keep you motivated throughout the year.
Physical Activity Benefits Against Cancer
There is a slew of reasons that exercise is good for … well, everything.
Countless studies have shown that getting your recommended weekly exercise can greatly reduce your risk for at least eight types of cancer, including bladder, breast, colon, and kidney, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Some of these cancers are more prevalent in people of color, including many Latinos, emphasizing the need for more exercise among underserved populations.
Not only can exercise reduce your risk for getting cancer, but it can also help you fight a battle against cancer once you are diagnosed.
A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that those who engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity prior to diagnosis were 47% less likely to die from cancer.
What’s more, those who engaged in light exercise had a 33% lower risk of dying from cancer, according to the study.
It can also help the cancer from spreading or progressing into later stages.
Those who participated in moderate to high levels of physical activity had a 27% reduced risk of cancer progression and a 16% reduced risk for those who engaged in light exercise.
Physical Activity Benefits Against Other Diseases, Too
Exercise can also reduce your risk for developing disease risk factors , such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension — all of which disproportionately affect people of color, according to the CDC.
Additionally, 150 minutes of exercise a week can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke while improving your blood pressure and cholesterol levels — two of the biggest risk factors for heart-related diseases.
In fact, a separate study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that short bursts of intense daily physical activity can decrease your chances of major cardiovascular problems by 45%.
These shorts bursts can be as long as 20 to 30 seconds a few times a day, according to Science News.
Lastly, increased physical activity could aid in reducing adverse health effects from illnesses such as COVID-19, the flu, and pneumonia.
Additional Physical Activity Benefits
Reducing your risk or improving your ability to recover from disease is only the tip of the physical activity benefit iceberg.
There are a lot more benefits where those came from.
For instance, did you know that getting in your recommended weekly exercise can save you money?
Moving your body can improve your overall health and your overall quality of life, therefore saving you money on unwanted hospital bills or doctor’s visits.
When paired with a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, lean proteins, exercise is a proven way to help you manage or lose weight.
Getting your recommended amount of weekly exercise can also help improve school and work performance, reduce stress, and help you sleep better.
Physical activity serves to help you live longer.
“An estimated 110,000 deaths per year could be prevented if US adults ages 40 and older increased their moderate-to-vigorous physical activity,” according to the CDC.
Increasing movement by just 10 more minutes a day can lower your risk for premature death.
Not only does increased activity help you physically, but it can also help you mentally.
A prescription for physical activity can reduce feelings of anxiety or decrease your risk for depression and anxiety.
Stay on Track of Fitness Goals
Making a commitment to get fit this year is only one step of the journey. Staying on track to meet your fitness goals is the other.
With work, school, family, and other commitments and responsibilities, it can be challenging to stay physically active.
In fact, some parts of your life may even derail any progress you’ve made.
A new study published by in PLOS One suggests that sitting down for long periods of time at your office job can set your health journey back by years.
The study discovered there is a relationship between the amount of time spent sitting and heart age, which is an estimate of a person’s risk for having a heart attack or stroke based on your age and other factors, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, according to the Heart Foundation.
More time spent sitting down, perhaps at an office job, led to an increase in heart age, even for those who met minimum daily exercise recommendations.
A way to offset the physical activity imbalance in your daily life is finding new ways to stay fit while at work.
Take frequent walking breaks to get yourself moving, take the stairs instead of the elevator, try a standing desk, check out devices meant for desk aerobics, initiate office physical activity breaks, or check out DeskFit.
Other ways to improve physical activity habits and hold yourself accountable include using the Move Your Way Activity Planner and track your activity progress in a Physical Activity Diary.
Another way to help you maintain an active lifestyle is starting with activities you enjoy.
Don’t pressure yourself to run every day if you don’t enjoy it, try riding a bike instead — whatever gets you up and moving around.
To keep yourself motivated, try doing a routine with a partner, friend, or family member and refresh your activities by trying out apps, seeking out hiking groups, or trying a class at your local YMCA.
Visit the CDC for more ways to overcome barriers to weekly physical activity goals.
Prove Moving Matters Where You Live
Moving Matters to your health.
That’s why the CDC launched a campaign to get people moving.
Active People, Healthy Nation is striving to help 27 million Americans be more physically active by 2027 by getting 10 million adults and 2 million young people to meet the minimum aerobic physical activity guideline.
And Salud America! is partnering with the initiative’s Moving Matters campaign to get the word out.
Take the steps today to reimagine your health journey and take your family and friends along for the ride.
To get your community moving along with you, download a free Health Equity Report Card from Salud America! today.
The Health Equity Report Card can help you uncover barriers keeping your neighbors from envisioning their own physical activity journey.
It does this by giving you a customized report of where your community stands on certain issues such as access to healthy food, transportation, and places to play or exercise.
This tool also gives you a bigger picture on ways to improve the health of your community by giving you an idea of what neighborhood may benefit from a new park, hiking trail, or paved walkway.
Use the information and visuals contained in the Health Equity Report Card to petition your local government for a new space that will get everyone on their feet!
GET YOUR HEALTH EQUITY REPORT CARD!
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