Address at the Launch of Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

Remarks as prepared; not a transcript.

RADM Steven K. Galson, M.D., MPH
Acting Surgeon General
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Address at the Launch of Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

October 7, 2008
Washington, DC

Thank you Mr. Secretary (H-H-S Secretary Michael Leavitt). It continues to be an honor to work with you.

I am excited to talk to you today about our new physical activity guidelines their high value to the people of this country.

I am also going to describe some of the actual guidelines to you.

This afternoon we have available the guidelines themselves, of course [hold up the document]

and an easy-to-read, easy-to use consumer brochure [hold up brochure].

We also have a Partner’s Toolkit [hold up plastic envelope] that we’ll talk about at the Partnership Forum following these remarks.

The new Physical Activity Guidelines support, confirm and deliver important health messages for ALL AMERICANS.

One of the key messages is that regular physical activity helps anyone of any age.

These guidelines help describe the optimal amount of physical activity for all Americans: children, adults, and seniors as well as groups such as pregnant women, people with disabilities and people with chronic medical conditions.

For starters, our children and adolescents need the most physical activity.

Children and adolescents should do 1 hour or more of physical activity every day. Most of the 1 hour or more a day should be either moderate- or vigorous physical activity.

As part of their daily physical activity, children and adolescents should do vigorous-intensity activity on at least 3 days per week.

Now, to adults: Adults should do 2 and a half hours a week of moderate-intensity physical activity,

or 1 hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity,

or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity.

The good news is that this activity can be performed in short 10 minute bouts spread throughout the week!

Science and the great work of the committee that put together these guidelines shows that for adults this total amount of 2 and a half hours moderate intensity aerobic activity – reduces the risk of many chronic diseases.

As the Secretary said, for inactive individuals, some activity is better than none.

We recommend 2½ hrs but the scientific evidence shows that the risk of premature death goes down with as little as 90 minutes a week of activity.

The more activity you do, the more health benefits you gain, so don’t let this 2 ½ hours be a LIMIT.

Additional health benefits occur with even more activity.

If you want to get some of the benefits we’ve linked to physical activity (PA) – like maintaining healthy weight or reducing the risk of breast and colon cancer,

You may need as much as five hours of moderate PA a week..

With PA – the more, the better; there is no maximum amount of beneficial physical activity.

As I mentioned, the Physical Activity Guidelines address the optimal amount of physical activity for some specific groups.

For example, like all adults,healthy women who are not already highly active or doing vigorous-intensity activity should get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Pregnant women who habitually engage in vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or who are highly active can continue physical activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period, provided that they remain healthy and discuss their activity with their health-care provider.

Adults with disabilities who are able to should also meet the adult guidelines. If they are not able to do the recommended amount of activity, they should be as active as possible.

Similarly, those 65 and older should follow the adult guidelines if they can.

If this is not possible, older adults should be as physically active as their abilities allow.

Older adults should also do exercises that maintain or improve balance if they are at risk of falling.

Increasing muscle strength helps adults, especially older adults, carry out everyday activities such as climbing stairs and lifting objects, and maintaining these everyday activities is an important part of maintaining good health.

These guidelines ALSO explain the many health benefits of muscle and bone strengthening for all ages.

Building and keeping strong, healthy bones is important for children and adolescents, as well as adults.

It is recommended that adults should do muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days per week.

The recommendation for children and adolescents is to do muscle strengthening and bone-strengthening activity on at least 3 days per week.

Childhood and adolescence is a critical period for bone development. For children, these activities may be things like climbing trees or playground equipment or hopping and skipping games.

I want to re-emphasize that regular physical activity helps anyone of any age and that the benefits of physical activity increase as the amount of physical activity increase.

Sometimes people hesitate to become physically active because they are worried about injuries. The bottom line is that the health benefits of physical activity far outweigh the risk of injury for almost everyone.

So, as your Acting Surgeon General, I want to again encourage all of you to be physically active on a daily basis.

Finally, allow me to share a few ‘practical pointers’ to get more physically active:

As you build more activity into your life, remember that every little bit helps.

For best success, pick activities that you LIKE to do and consider teaming up with a friend.

Social support will keep you motivated.

If you have not been active in the past, work your way up gradually.

Choose activities that are appropriate for your fitness level.

Lastly, one word of advice: Get up and MOVE!

*************

As I close, I would like to recognize and thank those who made today possible:

the Physical Activity Guidelines effort was coordinated by the Federal Steering Committee: RADM Penny Royall, Melissa Johnson, CAPT Rick Troiano, Bill Kohl and Janet Fulton – would you all please stand for us??

I appreciate your hard work and I salute your leadership!!

Thank you.

Now it is my pleasure to turn things over to our next speakers. It is my pleasure to introduce two brothers - who as 2008 U.S. Taekwando Olympians, have brought credit to themselves, their families, their hometown of Sugarland, Texas, and to Americans everywhere.

These men, along with their sister became the first trio of siblings to win world championships in the same sport in the same event during the 2005 World Taekwondo Championships.

Success truly runs in their family.

Before the Olympics, my son Eric and I were watching the evening news on TV and we saw a remarkable segment about your family’s EXTRORDINARY teamwork

We are honored to have with us today “our Olympians” - Mark and Steve Lopez.

Gentlemen…