National Health Observances
National Health Observance Toolkit - May
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
Sponsor: President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, & Nutrition
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is a great time to promote the benefits of physical activity.
Getting active increases your chances of living longer and can help you:
- Control your blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight.
- Raise your "good" cholesterol.
- Prevent heart disease, colorectal cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Here are some tips to help you get active:
- Aim for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate activity a week. This includes things like walking fast, dancing, or biking.
- Do muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days a week. Be sure to strengthen all major muscle groups including the legs, hips, back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and arms.
Sample Announcement | Sample Tweets | E-cards | Web Badges | Get Involved | Related Tools on healthfinder.gov | Resources
Get the Word Out
Sample Media and/or Newsletter or Listserv Announcement | |
Fitness Tip: Build physical activity into your life. Start at a comfortable level. Can you name 7 benefits of being active? We can: http://1.usa.gov/HPDofC. Rise to the challenge. Take time to get the physical activity you need. Sign up for the President’s Challenge: http://bit.ly/iB88l2. Q. Is physical activity for everyone? A. Yes. Here is a helpful resources that explain why: http://1.usa.gov/hkalfP. Did you know? No matter how inactive you’ve been or how out of shape you are, people of all ages benefit from physical activity. |
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healthfinder.gov: Be Active Your Way |
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Web Badge |
Get Involved
Take action to promote physical fitness.
- Be a community leader. Encourage families and communities to get active and empower them to make better choices.
- Host an information night featuring community members who have increased their physical activity. Ask people to share their stories and tips for success.
- Display the Physical Activity Guidelines poster to encourage people to get active.
- Encourage others to increase their physical activity and sports participation by taking the President’s Challenge . Sign up individually or as a workplace or other group.
- Ask local retail stores and fitness facilities to offer discounted memberships or free guest passes and to share free information about physical fitness and health.
Adapted from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, & Nutrition and healthfinder.gov.
Contact the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, & Nutrition at fitness@hhs.gov for more information and materials.
Related Tools on healthfinder.gov
Personal Health Tools
More Information (Health A-Z)
Quick Guide to Healthy Living
Resources
- President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, & Nutrition
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month Sponsor - President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, & Nutrition, The President’s Adult Fitness Test and the PCPFS National Physical Fitness and Sports Toolkit
- Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines
- Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity Information: BodyWorks
- Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health, Staying Active and Eating Healthy
- National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Physical Activity: Are You Ready?
- National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, We Can!
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