Six Tips toward Improved Fitness

Welcome spring! It’s time to get outside and get active. Palo Alto Medical Foundation internist Linda W. Shiue, M.D., offers these six simple tips for fun activities for your health.

1.  Limit your screen time to less than two hours a day. Being sedentary, as in spending time sitting in front of a TV or computer, is strongly linked to obesity and related diseases. 

2.  If you haven’t been exercising regularly, start slow and gradually work up to your fitness goals.

3.  Find a fitness buddy to stay motivated.

4.  Make it a family activity. At least once a week, take a family walk or hike, or bicycle together as a family. 

5.  Mix it up. Boredom is the biggest enemy of maintaining an exercise regimen, so vary your exercises.

6.  Leave the car at home. When possible, walk or bike to work, school or to run errands. 

For more information about how to live an active, healthy life, check out these additional resources:

• The First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign to raise a healthier generation of kids
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s physical activity guidelines
• Helpful sample exercise schedule to get you started