The Healthy Bears Physical Activity Toolkit:

Exercise Recommendations● Cardio: Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends 150

minutes (2 hours and 30 min) or moderate intensity cardio per week OR 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 min) of intense cardio per week.

o Examples of moderate cardio: walking fast, pushing the lawn mower, water aerobics

o Examples of intense cardio: jogging/running, riding a bicycle fast or with hills, cycling class, Zumba

● Strength: CDC recommends strength training of all muscle groups at least two days per week

o Arms, legs, shoulders, back, chest, abdominals, hips ● Flexibility: American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

recommends adults stretch 3 times weekly to maintain full range of motion

o Each stretch should be held 10-30 secondso Each stretch should be repeated 3 times

Grizzly Bear Workout VideosThe Grizzly Bear Workout Videos are short exercise videos and instructional videos that you can use as part of your exercise routine and to help you learn the exercise equipment! They were made in our Burke County Staff Fitness Rooms with just you in mind. Check out the “Grizzly Bear Workout Videos” folder on the Google Drive to access these videos- you will be able to access them on campus at a Staff Fitness Room, or at home! They will also be available on the Facebook Group Page.

Grin and Bear It Weekly Fitness ChallengeEvery #MuscleMonday we will give you a new “Grin and Bear It Weekly Fitness Challenge.” You will be given an exercise move for the week which you progressively make more challenging as the week goes on. For example, if the move this week was Burpees, then on Muscle Monday we might do 5 burpees; but Tuesday we’d do 6, Wednesday 7, so on and so forth! Details

1

will be given each week on The Bear Necessities of Healthy Living Facebook group, and on the healthybears.wordpress.com website under the “Grin and Bear It Weekly Fitness Challenges” tab!

WalkingWhy is walking important? Did you know that two of the nation’s leading causes of death are heart disease and stroke? Both are related to physical inactivity! The Healthy Bears want to help; we are challenging you to Walk Towards a Healthier You! Walking as little as 30 minutes a day, five days per week can have a big impact on your health. Below you’ll find a few recommendations from the Healthy Bears that will get you started.……..Walk Towards a Healthier You by:

● Starting a Walking Club● Joining an existing Walking Club● Dividing your daily walk into smaller segments (10-15 minutes

each)● Making it a family event and walk after at least 1 meal each day● Walking with a friend or neighbor at the park, around the

neighborhood, or even a local track

School GymsComing soon!

Desk ExercisesSeveral of us would like to exercise more, but after spending more than half our day working, when we finally leave, we are exhausted. The Healthy Bears have some a quick and easy tips to help you Get Fit, While You Sit! Desk exercises are a great way to sneak in a little fitness during your busy work day. Exercises like these can help give give you a little boost in your heart rate, increasing your ability to concentrate and help you tone a little at a time!……..Get Fit, While You Sit by doing:

2

The Following exercise descriptions and images were sourced from: http://www.youbeauty.com/fitness/chair-workout-strength-training-exercises

3

Commercial Break Exercises

4

When we’re finally home, watching our favorite shows, exercising is probably the last thing on most of our minds; especially after we have become fully engaged in this week’s story line. Commercial breaks help us to regain our composure; it gives us time to visit the restroom, refill our drinks, replenish our snacks, and check our social media. The Healthy Bears did some research and learned that every 1 hour show contains about six commercial breaks, lasting 3 minutes each. That’s just enough time to complete a full workout without missing a single scene. http://www.prevention.com/fitness/strength-training/couch-potatos-workout

5

During this week’s episode of your favorite show, The Healthy Bears are challenging you to use the Commercial Break to Get in Shape by trying a

few of the following quick exercises

(http://theberry.com/2013/04/23/daily-motivation-25-photos-106/).

6

Exercise Moves to TryGet creative! If you’re new to exercise, then jump in with the basics, some are shown above and check out the moves in our Healthy Bear videos! If you’re more advanced, try upping your intensity to keep seeing results! Add jumps, weights or length of time you are holding the move! There are tons of resources for new moves to try, depending on your level of fitness.

Exercising with FriendsExercising with a friend or friends can be beneficial to your fitness goals. Not only is it more fun, it also increases your motivation, makes you more accountable, and can even help you reach your goals sooner!AccountabilityAccountability is an act willingness to accept responsibility or obligation for one’s actions. If it is easy to skip workouts when you’re the only person

7

affected by it; but when you’re a part of a team or a group, it is much harder to do. According to the Society of Behavioral Medicine, you’re 87% more likely to exercise consistently with a partner than you are alone.MotivationMotivation is the general desire or willingness a person possess to do something. Working out with a friend helps to create a friendly competition , and you’ll find it easier to push yourself harder and longer.SpottingHaving a partner makes the whole workout experience less intimidating.When working out with a friend, you’re less likely to become injured. They can help you establish good habits and form in the beginning and can eliminate pain in the future.Sharing InformationExercising is one of those things where you’re always learning something new! Working out with a friend allows you to use each other as a resource and share information, workout tips, and even tasty, healthy recipes.

More FunWorking out alone can become boring, routine, and mundane. Research shows that people who work out with friends or partners enjoy the act more. Having someone to chat and talk about your day with, set new fitness goals with and more keeps it interesting and fun!

Exercising ProgressivelyAs you start to notice the changes occurring in your body, there are a few tips that can help you continue to push yourself harder and stay consistent. There are 4 variables that can be manipulated to help you progress through your exercises.

● Volume- the number of reps performed● Intensity-the level of physical energy exerted during a workout● Duration- the length / distance of each rep OR the time of each rep● Recovery- the rest between reps

8

9