Choose You Blog
Biking is A Fun Way to Play
Dust off those handlebars and pump up those tires- biking can be an easy way to play AND get exercise! Add 30 minutes of moderate riding to your other play activities and you’ll be one step closer to getting the weekly physical activity you need. Check out this chart on how riding your bike is a way to be active!
It just so happens that May is National Bike Month. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride- whether it be to preserve your health or simply to play!
Want a challenge? Ride your bike to work! Friday May 18 is Bike to Work Day and we can’t think of a more fun way to start of your morning. Put a positive spin on your day and get active. Share your riding fun with us on Facebook!
Today is the tenth annual National Women’s Checkup Day. Women everywhere are encouraged to visit their current health care professional to receive a checkup or call to schedule a checkup.
What cancer screenings or exams should you get and how often?
After age 20, a cancer-related check-up should be part of general health visits. The check-ups should include health counseling and might include looking for cancers of the skin, thyroid, mouth, lymph nodes, and ovaries, as well as for some diseases other than cancer. The American Cancer Society also has specific screening recommendations for some types of cancer. For more information on what screenings you need and at what age you can access the American Cancer Society’s prevention checklist for women.
If you feel like you could use some support in getting regular health checks, make a Choose You commitment now. We’ll get you started with informative articles and useful tools. Then, we’ll provide you with the support you need to make physicals, mammograms, cervical cancer tests, and colon cancer tests a regular part of your health regimen.
Or, need help remembering when to schedule your next mammogram? Sign up to get a reminder.
This weeklong observance promotes healthy habits and reminds women to get active. Encouragement towards healthy eating and regular checkups are also key to National Women’s Health Week, May 13-19, 2012.
In fact, Monday, May 14th is National Checkup day! Be sure to visit your doctor or schedule your checkup. Getting tests for cancer are vital to the early detection of cancer and other conditions.
Choose You! For a community of support, ways to get active, healthy eating tips, and tips on when to get checked for cancer go to http://www.chooseyou.com/Make-A-Commitment.aspx.
Here’s a scary statistic: 42 percent of the U.S. population – more than 30 million additional people – will be obese by 2030…that’s according to projections published May 7 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
It may sound discouraging, but consider this — in an article posted on CNN, the researchers who made those predictions said: “That’s the thing about forecasts – they are guesses. The world changes…if in fact we’re wrong and obesity rates are less, I’d be happy!”
In that case, let’s help prove them wrong! We want to make sure that projection doesn’t become your reality. This May, the American Cancer Society Choose You movement put out an APB (All Play Bulletin), asking women to Choose Play.
The concept is simple – exercise doesn’t have to be a grueling or intimidating chore. ‘Play’ can be anything that gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster. All types of activity count, as long as you’re getting in 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity each week, per American Cancer Society recommendations (see below for fun examples).
In fact, the concept of ‘play’ really resonates with women according to recent Society data. A survey conducted in March found that among women:
- 40 percent said they would engage in physical activity if it felt more like play (and less like work).
- 44 percent said they make time for physical activities they enjoy several times a week.
- 75 percent reported making time for fun physical activities because it’s good for the body.
- 63 percent reported making time for fun physical activities because it’s good for their mind.
Perhaps that’s why there was such a good turnout at Choose Play street teams that popped up recently in New York City. Participants swung their hips to the hula hoop or broke a sweat jumping on hippity hops, among other activities, all while proving that by reconnecting with your inner child you can find fitness in fun places. Check out the events page for upcoming street teams this month in Los Angeles and the District of Columbia.
The bottom line here is that whether you prefer riding your bike, gardening or jumping rope with your children, the most important thing is to Choose You and to make time for healthy play. The lifestyle choices you make today can not only help to reduce your risk of cancer, but perhaps even curtail those troubling predictions for 2030.
We had a blast when we invited New York City to choose play with us in Times Square on May 1! One of our presenting sponsors, Quest Diagnostics, came out and joined us in encouraging women to get active for their health. We were excited to capture some of that unmistakable New York energy as people – from tourists from around the globe to business men and women on their lunch break – took time to get active and play with us. We saw some amazing double dutch jump roping skills, some incredibly stylish hula hooping, and a little friendly competition with the hoppity hop races!
These photos from New York speak for themselves. Choosing Play is one of the greatest ways to be active…and have lots of fun! …and have lots of fun!
Like us on Facebook to see more photos from Time Square!
LA – we’re coming your way! We’ll be in Santa Monica this Friday, May 11, from 11 to 1 p.m. at the Santa Monica Pier. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for timely info and live updates from the pier. Click here to see all the events we have going on in May!
How are you choosing play this May?
Fitness expert Holly Perkins talks about taking small steps toward reaching your fitness goal. Find out more information about how to choose you and get active at http://www.chooseyou.com/play.
Have you heard about the American Cancer Society’s recent APB? That stands for All Play Bulletin, and this video explains why it’s time to get out, get active, and have fun during the month of May!
Help us inspire 100,000 acts of physical activity by the end of the month and post your photos and videos to Facebook.com/chooseyou. We want to see how you choose play!
We know that being active is an essential element of maintaining a healthy weight and helping to reduce your cancer risk. One of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to meet this goal is by engaging in physical activity that feels like play.
Play can be anything that gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster. There are all sorts of different ways to play- riding your bike or gardening to playing tag or hula-hooping at the office. All types of activity count, as long as you’re doing them for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity each week. Here are 3 examples of how activity can add up.
|
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Total |
|
20 minutes of walking
|
30 minutes of riding a bike |
15 minutes of playing doubles tennis |
15 minutes of golf |
30 minutes of softball |
30 minutes of dancing |
150 minutes |
|
|
20 minutes of volleyball |
30 minutes of riding a bike |
20 minutes of canoeing |
30 minutes of gardening |
25 minutes of hula hooping 25 minutes of hopscotch |
150 minutes |
||
|
25 minutes of spinning |
30 minutes of kickboxing |
20 minutes of jumping rope |
75 minutes |
Get Active on a Regular Basis
Being active helps reduce your cancer risk by helping with weight control. It can also help improve your hormone levels and the way your immune system works.
More good news – physical activity helps you reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, too. So grab a hula-hoop and head out the door for physical activity that is fun and keeps you moving!
Share Your Activity
Part of the fun in playing is sharing the experience with others! We need your help to inspire 100,000 acts of physical activity by sharing how you choose play in May. Snap photos and take video when you play and post them to Facebook.com/chooseyou!
Also, check out Chooseyou.com/play for some more great ideas on how to choose play.
Choose You is the American Cancer Society’s national movement that inspires women to put their health first and make healthy lifestyle choices, such as maintaining a healthy weight, to stay well and help prevent cancer. One of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to maintain a healthy weight is by engaging in physical activity that feels like play. Visit ChooseYou.com/play in May to learn more about how you can take charge of your health by discovering fun ways to get active.
Starting to plan your summer travel? For many of us, road trips are a family tradition. Vacations are also the time when a lot of us let healthy habits like eating right and exercising fall by the wayside. In this video, Colleen Doyle, the American Cancer Society’s director of nutrition and physical activity, shares healthy eating tips on the road, and staying active when you travel.
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