Move Your Body, Shape Your Future Staying active is a key component to your operational success. Any amount of activity is beneficial but creating and sticking to an exercise routine can improve physical and mental performance long-term. Get Your Body Moving! There are many ways to move more throughout the day. Steadily increasing your daily movement can help you achieve your activity goals. Click on each image below to learn how you can incorporate more movement into your routine to help boost your daily activity. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther away in the parking lot. Get active during commercial breaks. Take your pet on a walk. Invest in a standing or walking desk. Take a dance break. Play with your kids or pets. Complete house chores. Try a new sport or exercise. Keep up with routine yardwork. Pace or take a walk during phone meetings or during your work breaks. Find different ways to move! 10,000 STEPS for ahealthier you Did you know the average American only gets 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day? That‘s roughly 1.5 to 2 miles. Getting around 10,000 steps (or five miles) per day is recommended for reducing certain health conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. That may seem like a lot at first, so look for ways to add 500 to 1,000 steps to your day, to meet your fitness goals. Over time, you can work your way up to your desired daily step count. If your goal is to lose weight, taking at least 10,000 steps or more per day can help you achieve your goal, though the exact number of steps depends on your age, gender, eating plan and level of activity. If you currently get fewer than 5,000 steps a day, any additional steps can help toward your weight loss goal. Adding an extra 1,000 steps each week to eventually get you over 10,000 is beneficial. No matter how you choose to get your 10,000 steps in each day, the key is to keep moving. Level Up Your Routine In addition to moving more throughout the day, incorporating planned exercise into your routine can help boost your energy, lose or maintain weight, protect against illness and improve your mood and sleep quality. No matter where you are starting from, working up a sweat has positive effects. 3 Types of Exercise Cardiovascular Activity (Aerobic) Strength Training Activity (Anaerobic Activity) Movement Preparation and Recovery Cardiovascular Activity (Aerobic) Cardio is an activity that raises your heart rate through your muscles’ use of oxygen. It improves heart health, decreases risk of heart disease, lowers blood pressure, increases ‘good’ cholesterol and improves lung function. Examples include running, swimming, and cycling. Weekly Physical Recommendations 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity OR 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity OR Combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity (2 minutes moderate: 1 minute vigorous) Moderate-Intensity Activities Brisk walk Light cycling Water aerobics Gardening Tennis Vigorous-Intensity Activities Hiking uphill or with a ruck Running Swimming Dancing Jumping rope Strength Training Activity (Anaerobic) Strength training includes both muscular strength and endurance exercises, which can improve balance and protect you from injury. You should work all major muscle groups – shoulders, arms, chest, back, abdomen, hips and legs. Try to do 8-12 repetitions (one set) per activity and aim to do at least one set per muscle group, though two to three sets have even more benefits. Lean body mass, or your muscle mass, plays an important role in fat loss. The more muscle mass you have, the more energy you burn at rest. In addition to energy burn at rest, your daily calorie burn also includes physical activity such as running errands and working out, and processing the food you consume through digestion. Weekly Physical Recommendations Two days of muscular strength training Movement Preparation and Recovery Adding flexibility exercises to your fitness routine will help you recover from cardio and strength training activities and reduce injury. You should also include a five-to-10-minute warmup and cool down period for each cardio and strength training day. A couple stretching options include active isolated stretching (AIS), where a stretch is held for only two seconds at a time, and dynamic stretching, which uses continuous movement patterns that mimic the intended exercise. Weekly Physical Recommendations Two days of flexability exercises Recommendations for Weight Management Getting your steps in is one way to prevent weight gain and increase weight loss, but a consistent exercise routine is encouraged for long-term results. Depending on your fitness goals, your physical activity may change. To prevent weight gain, aim for 150-250 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. To encourage and maintain weight loss, aim for 250 or more minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. Nearly 70% of active-duty service members are overweight or obese. It is a main contributor to in-service injuries and medical discharges. To prevent injury and disqualification, add more physical activity throughout the day and moderate- to high-intensity exercise throughout the week. Make Your Goals Count! Your goals aren’t worth much if you don’t have a plan. Routine is the key to success and SMART goals are a possible key to your success. How do SMART Goals Work? SMART goals are a great way to actionably achieve your fitness goals. A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. Click each letter below to learn how to make your goals SMART. S M A R T Specific: well-defined and focused Is it targeted at your intended outcome? Is your goal intended to monitor, improve or predict an outcome? Measurable: trackable outcomes Can you track or measure progress? How will you track progress? Attainable: realistic Do you have control over any of the elements that impact the goal? Do you have the skills and resources to meet the goal? Relevant: based on current conditions and restraints Does the goal support the outcomes? Does the goal match your priorities? Timely: grounded within a timeframe How long will it take to achieve this goal? What is the timeline? Make a SMART goal for each fitness-related result you want to achieve. Follow these simple steps by clicking each icon below to help you prepare. Remember to meet yourself where you are! Assess Design Check-in Use Tools Assess your fitness level and make goals that match your current physical capabilities. Example : If you aren’t currently physically active, you could focus on moving more throughout the day (e.g., taking frequent breaks, walking during your lunch break) and slowly progress toward creating a workout plan. Example: If you are physically active, you could aim to challenge yourself with a new activity, such as running or a fitness program, such as the Navy Operation Fitness and Fueling System (NOFFS). Design a fitness program with various workouts that work with your routine. Example: If you only have 15 to 30 minutes for exercise in your current routine, you could plan to take a brisk walk, perform strength training exercises, or try NOFFS to get your heart rate up. Example: If you wish to reduce screen time and increase physical activity, you could use previously scheduled screen time for additional workout time. Check-in on your SMART goals frequently and adjust when needed. Example: If you often miss pre-planned workout days, you could aim for longer workouts on fewer days of the week to better match your current capability. Example: If you exceed your goals, you could add to existing goals or create new ones that continue to challenge you. Use tools that help you reach your goals. Example: Trackers, such as weekly exercise calendars and wearable devices, can help you monitor your steps and workouts for when you review your progress. Example: Trying new workout equipment and machines can help vary workouts.
