Move More this Month
Move More Month, an effort by the American Heart Association to spur all of us into moving more for our heart health, is April.
With spring well underway, it is the perfect time to head outdoors for a fun run, a walk around the neighborhood, a trip to the gym, or dancing with your kids to the fast-paced 90s tunes (*NSYC, Spice Girls). Whatever you do to get up and move about counts toward the recommended 10,000 steps per day or at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise.
Playing a half hour of basketball, spring cleaning the house, or lifting weights, it is all about movement.
A 1950s study on bus conductors (who move during work) and bus drivers (who are more sedentary), showed the more active group suffered less from heart disease. Daily activity improves brain health, weight management, and bone/muscle strength as well as lowers the risk of disease. It can also help reduce anxiety.
According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 110,000 deaths per year could be prevented if adults ages 40 and older increased their moderate-to-vigorous activity. Even increasing activity 10 minutes counts.
These days, with phones and watches keeping count of daily steps, meeting the goal is much easier.
How much activity is recommended? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest:
Preschool-aged children (ages 3 through 5 years) should be physically active throughout the day for growth and development.
Children and adolescents (ages 6 through 17 years) need 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each day.
Pregnant or postpartum women, with their doctor’s approval, should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week, such as brisk walking for 30 minutes a day.
Adults need 150 minutes of physical activity each week, including aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activity. This can be 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Adults age 65 and older need at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking, at least two days a week.
To help everyone get active, here are some upcoming events in Precinct 2:
Denton Dash for Public Schools from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 15. The 11th annual Denton ISD Council of PTA’s 5K Run/Walk raises funds for senior scholarships.
The Little Elm Lakefront Triathlon on Sunday, May 21. A first year for this Little Elm event, activities include a sprint distance with a 500-yard swim, a 12-mile bike ride and a 3.1 mile run.
22nd Annual Coach Cox’s Kids Race in The Colony’s Stewart Creek Park from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 22. Children ages 9 through 12 run an age appropriate half mile or mile race. All participants receive a ribbon and a goodie bag. Registration is open.
Texas Big Star Half Marathon & 5K in Frisco in partnership with The Tug McGraw Foundation and the North Texas Community Giving Foundation. Events begin at 6:35 a.m.
