The importance of being active your way.

Abstract

Physical activity is one of the most important com ponents of successful health promotion and disease prevention for individuals and communities. While physical activity has long been a priority for public health, it rose to a new level of prominence in Octo ber of 2008, when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.1 These guidelines, which are the first set of comprehensive, evidence-based national recommendations for physical activity across the lifespan, are designed to serve as the basis for programs and policies nationwide. Physical activity is an integral component in the body's energy balance. The benefits of physical activity extend well beyond achievement and/or maintenance of a healthy weight. In fact, a thorough review of the scientific literature by the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee has shown that regular physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of many con ditions that impact physical and mental well-being, including coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, colon cancer, breast cancer, and depression. Physical activity also helps to build muscular and cardiovascular fitness, and has a positive effect on sleep patterns and bone density. Given all of this information, it should come as no surprise that physical activity is also associated with a reduced risk of premature death.2 Many Americans still undervalue the benefits of physical activity and underestimate their personal abil ity to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives. Exercise is a word laden with negative connotations, often viewed as a chore. Thus, one of the primary mes sages conveyed in the Physical Activity Guidelines com munication tools is the idea of personalizing physical activity to meet an individual's interests, abilities, and lifestyle patterns. The guidelines' companion piece, Be Active Your Way, a guidebook for adults, is centered on this theme of tailoring physical activity to become an enjoyable and beneficial component of life.3 Some physical activity is better than none, and more is even better. Physical activity should not be viewed as an all-or-nothing venture; this mindset welcomes barriers and, ultimately, inactivity. Research shows that at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, or RADM Steven K. Galson, Acting Surgeon General