Why Moving More Matters
Physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for noncommunicable disease mortality. Insufficiently active people have a 20 % to 30 % increased risk of death compared to sufficiently active people. The World Health Organization (WHO) found that nearly one-third (31 %) of the world’s adult population, 1.8 billion adults, are physically inactive. If the trend continues, the proportion of adults not meeting recommended levels of physical activity is projected to rise to 35 % by 2030.
Move more together for better physical and mental health.
Credit: ivanko80 _stock.adobe.com
What Is the Move More Campaign?
In efforts to encourage physical activity and promote heart health, the American Health Association began the Move More campaign. Move More was previously known as National Walking Day but was expanded to highlight the importance of physical activity over a period, thus raising awareness of the health benefits and risks associated with inactivity and poor physical health. Move More is celebrated each year during the entire month of April.
4 Simple Ways to Move More
One in four U.S. adults sits for longer than eight hours each day. Sitting for too long can hurt your physical and mental health. A recent study found that swapping just 30 minutes of sitting with low-intensity physical activity reduced the risk of death by 17%. Let’s explore four ways to move more and take control of our health.
1.Walk Your Way to Better Health
Walking is the most popular form of exercise. It is safe for most people, low- or no-cost, and easy to stick to. Walking lowers the chances of forming heart disease. Walking at least 150 minutes a week can help physical and mental health and sleep.
Ways to increase walking minutes:
- Walk on breaks or during lunchtime: This helps with digestion and energy.
- Walk with pets: This is a great way for both of you to get some exercise.
- Walk with a group, club, or kids: The perfect way to connect with coworkers, friends, or children after school.
2. Get Outdoors with Active Hobbies
As the weather becomes clearer and warmer, it presents a wonderful opportunity for youth and adults to enjoy fresh air during these longer days. In addition to walking, several other activities keep adults active and moving. Some of these activities include:
- Hiking: start short distances and gradually increase as your stamina allows
- Cycling: Choose a comfortable bike with good support and consider flat, smooth trails for beginners
- Gardening: Light gardening is a more relaxed but effective physical activity that also helps with flexibility and strength
3. Strengthen Your Body with Fun Activities
As we grow older, the importance of muscle and bone strengthening increases. Muscle and bone strengthening activities are important for maintaining overall health, reducing the risk of falls and fractures, and improving physical function. For fun and effective muscle and bone strengthening, consider activities like:
- Dancing: A great way to have fun while working your muscles and bones
- Hiking: Brisk walking or hiking on varied terrains can challenge your bones and muscles.
- Sports: Activities like basketball, soccer, tennis, pickleball, and others can be a fun way to get exercise and strengthen bones and muscles.
- Climbing: A great full-body workout that builds strength, flexibility, and balance
- Jumping Rope: A fun and effective way to strengthen bones and improve cardiovascular health
- Weightlifting: Using weights or resistance bands can help build muscle strength and bone density
- Yoga: Build strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body.
- Pilates: Adding low-impact, mind-body exercise programs that focus on core strength, flexibility, and controlled movements can promote stress reduction, improved sleep, and enhanced athletic performance
4. Turn Everyday Activities into Exercise
To keep healthy, we must be active every day in as many ways as possible. Many everyday activities provide an opportunity to be active and provide health benefits with simple changes that we can make. Form a habit of walking or cycling instead of using the car or doing things yourself instead of using labor-saving machines. Some examples include:
- Stair Climbing: Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.
- Park further away: Take the opportunity to get extra steps in when you pick parking spots further away from the door.
- Unloading groceries: Instead of grabbing all your groceries in one trip, take only one or two bags at a time and make multiple trips to increase the step count.
- Housework: Don’t underestimate the benefits of housework like mopping, vacuuming, or cleaning the windows.
- Picking up the mail: If your mailbox is further away from your house or apartment, lace up your shoes and walk to your mailbox instead of driving.
References
- World Health Organization. “Physical Activity”, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
- American Heart Association. “Move More Together”, 2025. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/move-more-together
