Active Living: Let’s Face it Then ACE IT!
Our bodies are made to move. Physical activity has been at the heart of human survival and daily life since the beginning. Any doubts about our true nature? Watch children on an elementary school playground. What a whirlwind of play and movement! The scientific evidence linking activity with good physical and mental health is undeniable, stronger than ever, and very encouraging. Active people enjoy enormous health benefits, enhance the quality of their daily lives, live longer, and serve as powerful role models in their communities. Our modern-day science confirms what the ancient Greeks knew centuries ago: physical activity is good for the body, mind, heart, and soul.
Let’s face it. We have strayed far from our roots. America slouches into its future as a sedentary nation. We watch the elite professional athletes on TV but don’t spill out onto our own playing fields. Nearly one in four adults do not participate in any leisure-time physical activity. Half of our children are not active enough for healthy development.
More “exercise” is always near the top of our New Year’s resolutions. Of course, your success in getting active and staying active depends upon individual factors such as motivation, past experiences, and behavior-change skills. However, we often ignore a critical factor—your zip code! Your success hinges in large measure upon where you live. We don't participate in physical activity or play sports in a vacuum. We do so in the context of the opportunities and barriers in our neighborhoods and communities.
Let’s take a different approach. Active living is a way of life that integrates physical activity into our daily routines. Not a formal exercise program, it is a framework for how to weave physical activity into the fabric of our days. Past efforts have focused too much on the dreaded “E” word as THE way to be active. Active living is a godsend for those who “hate to exercise” because it focuses on all types of physical activity. Sure, there’s the aerobics class at the Y and jogging three miles in the park. But there are so many other ways to get our needed dose of enjoyable physical activity. Active transportation such as walking and biking to work or school, household chores, playing sports, activity at work, gardening, dancing…active living embraces them all.
When it comes to our communities, active living advocates like to say, “Let’s ACE it!” An Active Community Environment (ACE) is a place where people of all ages and abilities can easily walk, bike, and engage in other recreational activities. When we remove barriers and foster communities that are friendly to physical activity, we are following an essential principle in public health. Make the healthy choice the easy choice. Is it safe in your neighborhood to take a walk after dinner? Are sidewalks and bike lanes in good repair? Are crosswalks well-marked and respected by motorists? Is there a park nearby with walking trails or recreation equipment in good repair? Do your schools provide quality physical education, sports, after school programs for all kids? Whether rural, suburban or urban, what if every neighborhood in America were an ACE? What if every community provided the needed recreation infrastructure and support for active living? Do you think more individuals and families would be active?! America can shift out of sedentary gear and into active living.
Communities that support physical activity do not just happen. Creating active living opportunities for everyone requires civic engagement, resources, and attention to fairness. Essential infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes requires planning and money. Quality physical education for all our kids requires enough well-trained PE specialists and a commitment from school districts to hire them. Creating a new park or upgrading the equipment in an existing one may mean voting on a ballot measure in the next local election. Residents of lower-income neighborhoods are less likely to have the resources and recreation infrastructure found in more affluent communities. Children in these families are six times more likely to drop out of community sports programs due to cost. When we advocate for resources and policy change, we can eliminate the social injustice of inadequate recreation opportunities in underserved communities.
For more than 30 years, I have volunteered for the American Heart Association and worked with other organizations to bring quality physical education to all Oregon children. Our volunteer efforts produced important results. Volunteering for a good cause is also good for the volunteer! Advocating for physical education is one of the most important and satisfying things I have ever done as a doctor.
