Physical Activity Promotion

This site provides information on:

• The importance and benefits of increasing your physical activity.
• How you can integrate physical activity into your daily routine.

There is still a tried and true standard for achieving physical fitness. And you should get the facts on two myths about fitness.

But there's a new approach to physical fitness. It's for people who want an easy way to make physical activity part of their daily routines. It's all covered in the 1996 Surgeon General's Report on Physical Fitness and Health.

Low levels of physical activity:

• Contribute to poor health from heart disease, stroke, some cancers, osteoporosis, and depression.
• Many Virginians find it difficult to be physically active on a regular basis because of a lack of supportive environments and policies. Our Physical Activity Promotion Program works to improve opportunities for more physical activity and access to fitness facilities and resources.
• Only about 30%-40% of Virginians in all age levels are either thinking about or trying to be more physically active.

Tried and True Standard: You can achieve a satisfactory level of fitness with 30 minutes or more of physical activity, most days of the week, performed at a pace that increases your heart and breathing rates.

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Fitness Myths

Myth No. 1. - "It Should Be Fun"

Expecting exercise or physical activity to be fun is expecting too much. Sports were designed to be fun but the purpose of physical activity is to improve your health profile and self-image, not necessarily to be fun. There's nothing wrong with finding something fun to do as a physical activity, but all it really needs to be is tolerable. People don't stop brushing their teeth because there's no fun in it; they just get it done and move on. It should be the same for your fitness activity.

Myth No. 2. - "Taper Off Your Physical Activity As You Get Older"

There's no evidence that the human body is any less capable of the same level of physical activity at age 65 than it was at age 25; especially if that level was maintained for the 40 years in between. Bones and muscle age more from lack of use, than lack of youth!

For more information or to arrange a presentation on physical fitness to your group contact: info@vdh.org.

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