Take steps to incorporate physical activity into family schedules
May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. It’s the perfect time to challenge ourselves to be physically active each day. But with busy family schedules, it can be challenging.
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend:
■ Adults should aim for 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week. Moderate activity includes things like walking fast, dancing, swimming and raking leaves. It is also suggested that adults do muscle-strengthening activities — such as lifting weights and using exercises bands — at least two days a week.
■ Children should get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous play activity every day.
Here are some suggestions for incorporating physical activity into family schedules from Colleen Pulvermacher, Cooperative Extension 4-H youth development educator with the University of Wisconsin.
■ Clean the garage or shed as a family project. As a reward for your hard work, break out long-forgotten toys — balls, Frisbees, jump rope, pogo sticks or hula hoops — and enjoy some active fun with your family.
■ Build a kite or purchase one and catch a breeze.
■ Have a family discussion, asking each member of the family about their favorite physical activity or toy and why the like it. And don’t forget to ask the grandparents.
■ Encourage children to try a new physical activity, regardless of their athletic abilities.
■ Limit screen time (TV, iPods, smartphones and computers) and keep the TV out of children’s bedrooms.
■ Consider walking to locations you frequent (grocery and convenience stores, churches, synagogues, local restaurants or libraries).
■ Wash the car by hand as a family and offer to do the same for an elderly neighbor.
■ No pets to walk? Offer to walk your neighbor’s dog or volunteer to walk dogs at the humane society. After your walk, give the pooch a bath.
■ Make a new house rule: No sitting on the couch during television commercials.
■ Dance together. Let everyone choose a song they love. You may learn a few new dance steps.
■ Invite the neighbors over for backyard games — anything from dodge ball to croquet.
■ Plan a picnic followed by a hike, searching for interesting rocks, leaves and insects.
■ Support a cause you believe in like Alzheimer’s or cancer research and search the Internet for fundraising walks and fun runs to participate in as a family.
One possibility is to participate in the PROSPER 5K, which provides funding for evidence-based drug and alcohol prevention programs in Carbondale Area and Scranton school districts. The race will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 9 a.m. on the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail in Scranton.
For information about the race, call Penn State Extension at 570-963-6842 or check out PROSPER 5K on Facebook .
KAREN THOMAS is a family and consumer sciences educator for Penn State Extension in Lackawanna County.
Copyright ©2016 The Scranton Times-Tribune | 149 Penn Ave. | Scranton, PA 18503 | 1-800-228-4637