Americans of all ages need to incorporate more movement in their daily lives. Adults need at least 30 minutes of activity 5 days each week. This can be done by choosing to bike or walk instead of driving, taking stairs instead of elevators, or pushing a lawnmower instead of riding one. Children need at least 60 minutes of active play daily. They need to run, climb, jump, and just get up and move around, away from their desks, the television and computer games.”
Twenty minutes of vigorous physical activity three times a week, such as sports, aerobics, working out in the gym, and running, have added health benefitsto reap the health benefits of daily physical activity you don’t need to go to the gym. Participating in 30 minutes a day, broken up into shorter increments of ten or fifteen minutes, can greatly improve your health. Thirty minutes of physical activity (walking or other physical activity) on most days is recommended by the Surgeon General and research has shown that the benefits of walking and moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes total on most or every day of the week can help you:
- Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
- Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels
- Improve blood lipid profile
- Maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity
- Enhance mental well-being
- Reduce the risk of osteoporosis
- Reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer
- Reduce the risk of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes
- Did you know that for every hour of regular, vigorous exercise we do -- like brisk walking -- we can live two hours longer?
To start walking, there are many trails and parks in the County. In addition, several communities have set up walking loops with distance markers: Port Jervis Fitness Loop (starting point, across from Bon Secours Hospital), Newburgh Mall (indoors), City of Middletown Loop
