Move Your Way® Campaign: How much physical activity do I need and what counts?

Images courtesy of the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Campaign Overview

The Move Your Way® campaign was created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion to promote and share key findings from the Second Edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans with the public in 2018. The campaign helps translate these guidelines into easy-to-understand messages.

A central message conveyed in the campaign emphasizes that any physical activity performed throughout the day and week contributes to achieving your health goals. Our bodies are naturally built for movement and activity, and this includes non-conventional activities, like gardening, dancing, and play—all of which qualify as physical activity. The following are some key elements included within the Move Your Way® Campaign.

Audience-Specific Recommendations and Materials

The campaign has selected key groups to feature with specific resources and recommendations that are population-or-audience-specific.

• Kids and Teens
  Ages 6 to 17 should aim for 60 minutes of activity every single day, including a variety of activities that strengthen bones, build muscles, and make your heart beat faster!
• Adults
  All adults should strive for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week and do muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days per-week.
• Older Adults
  Older adults have similar recommendations to younger adults, including 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per-week and do muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days per week. In addition, older adults should incorporate activities that focus on improving balance each week.
• During and After Pregnancy
  Pregnant women should follow the same guidelines as other adults, but they should avoid contact sports and lying flat on one’s back after the first trimester. Following pregnancy, women should listen to their body and ease back into a physical activity routine as it feels comfortable, starting slowly and aiming to work back up towards 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per-week and doing muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days per-week.
• Parents
  Parents should be active themselves and follow the recommendations for adults, but they should also be aware of how much physical activity their children need to stay healthy, including those under age 6, who should be active and moving for 3 hours per day. Youth ages 6 to 17 should aim for at least 60 minutes of activity each day, plus muscle and bone-strengthening activities at least 3 days per-week. Many activities can be done together as a family to promote movement throughout the day, including house cleaning, walking the dog, playing sports, dancing, and playing at the park. All activity that gets the body moving adds up to create a healthier family!
• Health Care Providers
  Resources specifically-designed for health care providers encourage conversations with patients about physical activity, provide dosage recommendations, and provide strategies to address potential barriers and the benefits of physical activity.

Free Resources

Dozens of free resources are available for download and usage. Every resource is available in both English and Spanish languages and are audience-specific, including resources tailored for kids and teens, adults, older adults, during and after pregnancy, parents, and health care providers. Free resources that are available and ready to use include:

• Fact sheets.
• Posters.
• A Move Your Way® Activity Planner - Interactive Tool.
• Videos.
• Stories About Physical Activity and Healthy Eating.
• Sample Social Media Messages, Graphics and GIFS for ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) and Facebook.

Community Engagement

• The campaign seeks to engage communities, schools, health care providers and other stakeholders to promote physical activity and create environments that support active living. This involves partnerships and collaborations to make it easier for people to be active in their everyday lives.
• Communities can create a plan to further promote physical activity for their citizens. The Move Your Way® South Dakota Playbook was adapted from the federal community playbook and includes recommendations and resources unique to South Dakotans, including opportunities for partnerships.

In Summary

Everyone can benefit from moving their bodies more throughout each day and all types of activity count towards your daily goal. Find what works for you and Move Your Way®! To inquire about reserving a South Dakota Move Your Way® display for an event or meeting or for more information, please contact the SD Department of Health.

Additional Resources

• Move Your Way® Community Resources, U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
• Move Your Way® South Dakota Playbook, South Dakota Department of Health.