May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Fit Your Exercise To Your Personality

Spring is here. The swallows are building their nests in our eaves, bougainvillea is blooming and the air smells of sweet jasmine. It’s time to get outside.

What a more perfect time to start a new fitness program than National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Back in 1956, President Eisenhower created the President’s Council on Youth Fitness after a study showed that American children weren’t as strong as their European counterparts. Over the years and through different administrations, the name has now morphed into the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. But the message is still the same. We’ve got to get movin’.

30 Minutes Everyday

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) states that we should be physically active for 30 minutes everyday. But what kind of activity suits us? We’re not all made to be runners or weight lifters and we shouldn’t feel intimidated if our neighbors are. At Pomona Valley Health Centers –PVHC (in Pomona, Chino Hills, Chino Hills Crossroads and Claremont)–we encourage everyone to find the exercise that best suits their personality.

Take a personality test at http://www.vibrantlife.com to determine what exercise might match your character. If you’re a self-motivator and you like routines, you may find it easy to stick to a fitness plan. Doing a circuit of weight lifting at your local might be best for you.

If you’re a social team player, you may enjoy group classes, like Zumba, bowling or softball. But if you hate routines and want to do things on your own, mix it up a little. Go for a walk one day and play a round of golf the next.

*As with any new exercise regime, check with your PVHC primary care physician if you have any health concerns. Go to MyPVHC.com for questions about finding a primary care doctor.

Make Exercise a Family Affair

How about taking the family for a bike ride? Explore your local park or canyons by taking the kiddos for a hike. Letsmove.gov suggests starting out with small goals for the family like walking 30 minutes three days a week and building from there. Download a family calendar from their website to organize your activities. Here are some of their suggestions of ways to get the family involved:

• Play tag, swim, toss a ball, jump rope, hula-hoop, dance to music or even play a dancing video game. It doesn’t have to be sports—just get your family moving!
• Walk the dog, go for a jog, go on a bike ride, take the stairs or head to the park and let kids run around for a while.
• Celebrate special occasions—like birthdays or anniversaries—with something active, such as a hike, a volleyball or soccer game or playing Frisbee at the park.
• Get the whole family involved in household chores like cleaning, vacuuming, and yard work.
  Walk instead of drive whenever you can. If you have to drive, find a spot at the far end of the parking lot and walk to where you’re going.
• ark farther away and count with your children the number of steps from the car to your destination. Write it down and see if you can park even farther away on your next stop.
• Train as a family for a charity walk or run.

The weather is great. The time is now. Find activities that inspire and motivate. But most of all, keep moving and have fun!

“There is a sport for every personality. The point is to find something that you love to do, so you’ll be motivated to continue.” - Ryan Agena, D.O.