Steps to a Healthier You: Inside the Food Pyramid - Importance of Physical Activity

• Improves self-esteem and feelings of well-being
• Increases fitness level
• Helps build and maintain bones, muscles, and joints
• Builds endurance and muscle strength
• Enhances flexibility and posture
• Helps manage weight
• Lowers risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes
• Helps control blood pressure
• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety

Physical activity and nutrition work together for better health. Being active increases the amount of calories burned. As people age their metabolism slows, so maintaining energy balance requires moving more and eating less.

Some types of physical activity are especially beneficial:

• Aerobic activities - speeds heart rate and breathing and improves heart and lung fitness. Examples are brisk walking, jogging, and swimming.

• Resistance, strength building, and weight-bearing activities - helps build and maintain bones and muscles by working them against gravity. Examples are carrying a child, lifting weights, and walking. They help to build and maintain muscles and bones.

• Balance and stretching activities - enhances physical stability and flexibility, which reduces risk of injuries. Examples are gentle stretching, dancing, yoga, martial arts, and t'ai chi.

How much physical activity is needed?
At a minimum, do moderate intensity activity for 30 minutes most days, or preferably every day. This is in addition to your usual daily activities. Increasing the intensity or the amount of time of activity can have additional health benefits and may be needed to control body weight.

About 60 minutes a day of moderate physical activity may be needed to prevent weight gain. For those who have lost weight, at least 60 to 90 minutes a day may be needed to maintain the weight loss. At the same time, calorie needs should not be exceeded. Children and teenagers should be physically active for at least 60 minutes every day, or most days.

While 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity physical activities provide health benefits, being active for longer or doing more vigorous activities can provide even greater health benefits. They also use up more calories per hour. No matter what activity you choose, it can be done all at once, or divided into two or three parts during the day. Even 10-minutes bouts of activity count toward your total.

Most adults do not need to see their health care provider before starting to exercise at a moderate level. However, men over the age of 40 and women over the age of 50 planning to start vigorous physical activity should consult a health care provider. Individuals with one of the conditions below should also consult a health care provider for help in designing a safe program of physical activity.

• A chronic health problem such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, asthma, or obesity.

• High risk for heart disease, such as a family history of heart disease or stroke, eating a diet high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, smoking, or having a sedentary lifestyle.

How many calories does physical activity use?
A 154-pound man (5' 10") will use up about the number of calories listed doing each activity below. Those who weigh more will use more calories, and those who weigh less will use fewer. The calorie values listed include both calories used by the activity and the calories used for normal body functioning.

MPH = miles per hour

Dietary Guidelines
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, gives science-based advice on food and physical activity choices for health. The Dietary Guidelines describe a healthy diet as one that " Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products; " Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and " Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars. The recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines and in MyPyramid are for the general public over 2 years of age. MyPyramid is not a therapeutic diet for any specific health condition. Individuals with a chronic health condition should consult with a health care provider to determine what dietary pattern is appropriate for them.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - www.mypyramid.gov