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Part Five Other Aspects of Wellness
Goals for
Physical Activity
Most people who are active or who
want to become active have one of
three main goals for physical activity.
They want to achieve good health, total
fi tness, or peak athletic performance.
The kinds of activities you do and the
way you do them will be affected by
which goal you choose.
Good Health
Most experts agree physical
activity plays a key role in achieving
and maintaining good health. Nearly
everyone can be at least moderately
active, regardless of age or physical
limitations. The health benefi ts of
physical activity outweigh the risks.
Many activities that promote good
health are free and require no special
equipment.
To achieve the goal of good health,
most of your daily activity should be
aerobic. Aerobic activities use large
muscles and are activities done at a
moderate, steady pace for fairly long
periods. Aerobic means with oxygen.
Aerobic activities improve heart and
lung health. Certain types of exercise
improve bone health. Physical activities
involving impact with a hard surface—
such as running or jumping—stimu-
late bone growth and strength. Muscle
strengthening exercises also increase
bone strength. If you have been
relatively inactive, a moderate level of
activity would be a good place for you
to start.
In 2008, the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services estab-
lished the Physical Activity Guidelines
for Americans. The Physical Activity
Guidelines for Americans specify
amounts and types of exercise that
individuals at different stages of the
life cycle should do to achieve health
benefi ts, 15-2. These guidelines can be
followed to meet your goal for good
health.
You may be surprised how easy
it is to include more activity in your
lifestyle. Physical activity does not need
to occur all at once, but it does need
to be in addition to the light-intensity
activities of daily life. Light-intensity
activities include standing, walking
slowly, and lifting light objects. Your
goal can be met with health-enhancing
physical activities that fi t into your
daily routine. For instance, you could
spend 15 minutes riding your bicycle to
school and another 15 minutes riding
home. Then take your dog for a brisk
15-minute walk and spend 15 minutes
shooting baskets in the driveway with
friends. By the end of the day, you have
accumulated a total of 60 minutes of
activity.
15-1 A physically inactive lifestyle
causes many teens to lack physical fitness.