Tag Archives: movement

Working Workouts into Your Workday

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Whether you’re back in the office or working remotely from home, it can be a challenge to fit exercise into a busy day.

That’s why our Workday Workout poster is an effective education tool to remind everyone that there are ways to fit fitness into your life, no matter where or how much you work.

This the perfect topic for a workplace class. In addition to talking about the strategies outlined on the poster, you can tailor your discussion to the time of year or specific challenges your audience faces.

Here are some examples:

  1. Holidays: Brainstorm strategies to keep moving even when you’re busier than ever.
  2. Covid & Flu: Talk about how to stay safe at the gym by properly disinfecting equipment and give a refresher on best handwashing practices.
  3. Getting Outside: Encourage everyone to do some exercise outside in nature for the mental health benefits and the vitamin D boost.
  4. Staying Inside: Explore easy options for those who can’t get outside, like exercise videos on YouTube.
  5. Hydration: Remind everyone about the importance of drinking enough water before, during, and after exercise.

Even long-time exercisers will appreciate new ideas for making movement part of their workday!

By Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

New Handout: Workouts for Workdays

Workday Workout Poster Exercise At Work Poster - 18" x 24" - Laminated - Nutrition Education Store

Workday Workout Poster Exercise At Work Poster - 18" x 24" - Laminated

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Resources for Every Kid Healthy Week

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This year’s Every Kid Healthy™ Week is April 25-29. Are you ready?

Every Kid Healthy Week celebrates school health and wellness achievements. Each day of the week spotlights actions schools and families are taking to improve the health and wellness of their kids.

Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) provides plenty of ideas and activities for school and home. Each weekday has a topic and here are some ideas to go with them:

Mindful Monday – Social Emotional Health: Children (and adults) build resilience by practicing social-emotional health and mindfulness skills.

Tasty Tuesday – Nutrition and Food Access: Build lifelong healthy eating habits by exposing kids to new foods, healthy cooking, and growing their own produce.

Wellness Wednesday – Physical Activity and Active Play: Get Moving! Physical activity fuels the body and the mind.

Thoughtful Thursday – Equity Awareness: Create a school culture that celebrates diversity and works progressively towards creating a more equitable learning community.

Family Friday – Family-School Partnerships: Bring families and schools together to support child health at school and at home.

No matter how you celebrate Every Kid Healthy Week, post photos and videos from your events and activities on social media using the hashtags #EveryKidHealthyWeek and #TakeAction4HealthyKids.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

Eat from the Rainbow With Chef Ann Foundation 18" x 24" Floor or Wall Decal - Nutrition Education Store

Eat from the Rainbow With Chef Ann Foundation 18" x 24" Floor or Wall Decal

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Let’s Get People Moving!

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Exercise is so important to health, yet most Americans lead sedentary lives and only 20% of adults and adolescents meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

Here are some ways you can promote physical activity to your clients, students, or employees:

  1. All ages benefit. From preschoolers to octagenarians, movement makes a difference. Tailor your message to the age group you’re working with.
    • The Move Your Way campaign has free materials like short videos, social media messages, graphics, and GIFs (many in Spanish) that target different populations, including adults, older adults, parents and kids, and pregnant/postpartum women.
  2. Any movement counts. Simply sitting less is a step in the right direction and has benefits. The same goes for the movement you do while cleaning the house or playing with the kids.
    • Be Active Everyday Your Own Way is a simple handout with guidance for kids and adults. It also shows that everyday activities like walking the dog and washing dishes counts as movement.
    • Home Exercise poster is a light-hearted reminder that you don’t need to join a gym or run a marathon. You can get movement throughout your day and in the comfort of your own home.
  3. Take advantage of transitions. Going back to the office after working from home due to the pandemic is a great time to start a new exercise habit. The same goes for other life transitions like having a baby or starting a new school year.
  4. Find a health motivator. Exercise has so many immediate and long-term benefits that everyone is bound to relate to at least one of them.
    • Not sleeping well? Diagnosed with high blood pressure? Dealing with anxiety? Physical activity has immediate effects on these issues.
    • Worried about your risk of developing cancer, diabetes, depression, or dementia? Physical activity has long-term effects on these conditions (and many more!).
    • 3 Prong Exercise Plan to Stop Prediabetes is an example of targeting a health condition many folks might be worrying about.
  5. Manage a health condition. Exercise can help…
    • Decrease pain for those with osteoarthritis.
    • Reduce disease progression for hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
    • Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
    • Improve cognition for those with dementia, multiple sclerosis, ADHD, and Parkinson’s disease.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

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Take Steps to Keep Moving During the Pandemic

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Many people have changed their exercise routine due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some are streaming their favorite aerobics class instead of attending in-person. Others are purchasing home fitness equipment.

But even if we find ways to keep up our gym routine when the gym is closed, what about how much we’re moving in general?

Think about all the steps we aren’t taking because of the pandemic. If you’re working from home, you’re not walking from the car or bus stop to your office. You’re not taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you’re doing curbside grocery pickup, you’re not walking around the supermarket.

That’s where counting steps can be useful, making it the perfect time for a 10,000 steps challenge! We have everything you need in our 10,000 Steps theme:

Here are three ways to engage your clients, students, or employees in a conversation about taking more steps throughout the day:

  1. Make a plan to increase your steps now. It could look something like this:
    • Step 1: Get a pedometer or a tracking device (like a Fitbit) or find out if your cell phone will work.
    • Step 2: Track how many steps you’re taking every day for a week.
    • Step 3: Make a goal to increase your steps per day by 1,000 (or more or less, just be realistic).
    • Step 4: Track for a week and repeat, with the goal of getting up to 10,000 steps.
  2. Brainstorm ways to keep your steps up even in cold weather. Do you need a warmer coat? New gloves or a hat? Boots?
  3. Challenge a friend – at the end of the day, text each other about how many steps you took and what your goal is for the next day.

Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD

 

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Moving Through the Pandemic

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The coronavirus pandemic is changing our exercise habits, for better and for worse. Personally, I’m biking around my neighborhood more because there are fewer cars on the streets. But my 23-year old son misses his gym routine. And a friend recently posted on Facebook that her rear end hurts from sitting so much!

With many states opening up, some people might be ready to head back to the gym. Others will choose to stay home. It’s a good time to help your clients or students assess their exercise habits (or lack thereof) and figure out a way to keep moving throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are some topics you could cover:

Exercise for weight control: Our Exercise to Lose and Control Weight PowerPoint lesson explains that you burn twice as many calories when you’re moving as opposed to sitting, along with lots of other reasons to get off the couch or out of the office chair!

Remember the other benefits of regular exercise (150 minutes/week + strength training 2x/week):

  • Helps control blood sugar, and blood pressure
  • Reduces risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer
  • Strengthens your bones
  • Improves mood
  • Helps you sleep
  • Reduces stress

Make a plan: Move Your Way has an online Activity Planner that lets you set your own weekly goals, choose the activities you want to do, and print out your plan.

Work out at home: Our Home Exercise PowerPoint lesson covers all the bases, including tips on how to be a smart consumer when setting up a home gym; incorporating 10-minute periods of activity throughout the day; couch potato exercises; and more.

Think virtually: Many gyms and studios offer their classes online. There are lots of free options available as well. Look for YMCA videos on YouTube and check out the recommendations in this previous blog post.

Watch what you eat: Just because you’re exercising doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want. Consuming an extra 100 calories a day can result in a weight gain of 10 pounds per year!

Check out the CDC post on masks. Wearing a cloth mask ensures you do not infect other people while a surgical mask or N95 can ensure you don’t get infected if you are around a lot of people or sick people. Adopt the strategy recommended by your local experts or that you feel is best. If you are wearing a mask be careful not to overheat outdoors. Wear a hat, take plenty of water, and take it easy especially if you are just starting out. It might be smart to pay attention to the weather and walk when it is cooler.

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