Live an Active Life

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Active living is a lifestyle that includes physical activity on a regular basis. When people are active every day, they find it easier to manage their weight and prevent chronic (long-lasting) diseases, and have higher self-esteem.

Why Is Physical Activity Important?

Being physically active can help you prevent many unhealthy conditions and illnesses, including:

Cancer
Diabetes
Heart disease
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Osteoporosis
Overweight and obesity

Being active can make you look and feel better now and keep you healthy for the future. Physical activity can help you:

Control weight.
Reduce anxiety and stress.
Increase self-esteem.
Strengthen bones, muscles, and joints.
Potentially lower high blood pressure and cholesterol.

How physically active do I need to be?

Anyone can have a healthy lifestyle with any of the three activity options below:

Two and a half hours a week of moderate-intensity
One hour and fifteen minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity
An equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity

How do I know the intensity of my activity?

Below are some examples of activates that have a moderate or vigorous intensity:

Moderate Intensity:

Walking briskly (3 miles per hour or faster, but not race-walking).
Water aerobics.
Bicycling slower than 10 miles per hour.
Tennis (doubles).
Ballroom dancing.
General gardening.

Vigorous Intensity:

Race walking, jogging, or running.
Swimming laps.
Tennis (singles).
Aerobic dancing.
Bicycling 10 miles per hour or faster.
Jumping rope.
Heavy gardening (continuous digging or hoeing).
Hiking uphill or with a heavy backpack.

Is Washoe County physically active?

Over 19% of adults in Washoe County have not been physically active in the last 30 days (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2010).
Over 40% of adults in Washoe County are not getting the recommended amount of physical activity (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2009).
Less than half (46%) of high school students in Washoe County are physically active at least 5 days each week, and only 49% of middle school students are physically active at least 5 days each week (Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2007).