Physical activity guidelines

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released their 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (that link will take you to the summary of their recommendations). In even more summary form: The findings won't surprise anyone. The recommendation is that people should engage in physical activity. Some is better than none and more (quantity, intensity, frequency) is better.

I have a couple of problems with these guidelines:

First, I believe the "some is better than none" message gets obscured by the "more is better" message. I see it as being easy for people to feel discouraged by their perception that they aren't doing enough, and thereby doing even less, because they're never going to reach the recommended amounts of activity, so what's the point? So, let me say: Some is better than none! Get up and walk around the block, or walk to the store, or walk around your house while you're talking on the phone or brushing your teeth or waiting for your spouse to get ready to head out the door. Making small changes to your habits can be an effective way to increase your activity level and make it easier to make larger changes.

Second, the guidelines are, predictably, in a very structured format. I mean, hey, that's what guidelines are, right? But I don't see this as a particularly organic way for people to integrate activity into their lives. I know there are people who look at it as a checklist item with a set-aside time-frame, and that's great, but for the rest of us, hearing that we should be aiming for 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity each week is a little abstract. What does that mean for me?

Finally, this is a great example of how we put our activities in different categories and don't let them blend between each other. Work for 8 hours a day, exercise for 30 minutes a day, sleep for 8 hours, etc. To my thinking, this makes physical activity a chore to be checked off a list rather than a pleasurable component of a good, healthy, happy life.

So, I know the US Department of Health and Human Services can't say something like this, and they might not even agree with it, but my guidelines for physical activity are a little more lax: Get up and move. Make it a habit. Make it a part of your life that doesn't take any serious thought or feel like a chore. Move because it makes you feel good, and it helps you see your neighborhood and your world or because it gives you time to think or not to think. Be active for yourself and for whatever reasons speak to you most. Want to join me for a walk? Let's!