Let‘s get moving. Even small amounts of physical activity can have significant benefits. The following pages contain verbiage, tips, a printable poster and other articles and resources that you can reference and share with your co-workers and employees.

What and Why Simply being physically active does so much good for us. The opposite is also true. The absence of activity can be detrimental to our health. Exercise doesn’t have to mean running a marathon. Simply working some extra steps into your daily routine and making sure you do a little more standing or walking instead of sitting can have a big impact. So let’s do it! Let’s get moving.

Ideas for activities Set out a stack of sticky notes and have team members write down tricks that they use to incorporate more activity into their daily lives. Have them post them on the breakroom wall. Audit your activity for one week. Remember, it doesn’t have to be running or swimming to count. Cleaning the house, mowing the lawn and playing with the kiddos counts! You might be more active than you think.

Resources Articles Videos Exercise and Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide from the National Institute on Aging How Exercise Shapes You, Far Beyond the Gym Videos Sitting kills, support standing Run for your life! At a comfortable pace, and not too far

25 Tips Not only does exercise help fight disease, it also creates a stronger heart. Exercise can slow or help prevent heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis (bone loss) and loss of muscle mass. Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day, only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week. Drink before, during and after your walk (1-1.5 cups of water for a 20 minute walk). People who exercise 4 days a week report improved sleep quality, longer sleep and less time falling asleep. Finding a workout partner can help keep you on track and motivate you to get out the door. Try a new sport like tennis or rollerblading. The more that you enjoy exercise, the more likely you are to stick to it.

25 Tips Don’t sit during your entire lunch break – take time to walk at a moderate or slow pace. Park farther away at the shopping mall and walk the extra distance. Wear your walking shoes and sneak in an extra lap or two around the mall. When walking, pick up the pace from leisurely to brisk. Choose a hilly route. When watching TV, sit up instead of lying on the sofa. Or stretch. Better yet, spend a few minutes pedaling on your stationary bicycle while watching TV. Throw away your video remote control. Instead of asking someone to bring you a drink, get up off the couch and get it yourself. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or get off a few floors early and take the stairs the rest of the way. Schedule exercise time on your business calendar and treat it as any other important appointment. Try walking during business calls when you don't need to be at your desk to reference important documents.

More tips Brainstorm project ideas with a coworker while taking a walk. Play your favorite music while exercising; enjoy something that motivates you. Plan family outings and vacations that include physical activity (hiking, backpacking, swimming, etc.) Walking just 10 minutes can boost your energy and reduce stress for an hour or more. While you're on the phone, do simple stretches. Walk to work or to the shops instead of taking the car or the bus. If it's too far to walk, park the car or get off the bus and walk part way. Remind yourself to exercise - set a phone reminder, leave yourself a note on the bathroom mirror, or place your exercise plan on your calendar. Choose activities that suit your lifestyle. Consider your budget, physical abilities and amount of free time.

More tips Keep some exercise equipment at home. Options include exercise DVDs, a stationary bike, skipping rope or fitness ball. There’s an app for that. There are any number of apps that can help us slip in yoga, a quick workout or stretching seven or ten minutes at a time. To improve overall cardiovascular health, we suggest at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity). Thirty minutes a day, five times a week is an easy goal to remember.

Appendix We can’t take all of the credit. In compiling this information, we referenced the following organizations and websites: Nih.gov Fitness.gov Worklife.columbia.edu Hsph.harvard.edu Fitday.com Heart.org Kaiserpermanente.org BetterHealth.vic.gov Centremoves.org Webmd.com