As the sun shines and the air warms, it is not hard to be motivated to get outside and get move around. As if on cue, National Physical Fitness Month celebrates and encourages this impulse. Initiated by President Eisenhower and expanded by President Kennedy in the early sixties, the idea of promoting fitness and a healthy lifestyle continues to be a national goal. Michelle Obama literally takes it all to the next step with her Let’s Move campaign. This kind of government endorsement may not motivate most of us. We all know that exercise and fitness can help us maintain our health and sanity, but it never hurts to be reminded…
There are plenty of ways to keep it moving, build momentum, and get into a rhythm.

Trail running. Freeze action closeup of running shoes in action. Shallow depth of field focus on left shoe.

Be a Sport

Join a community sports leagueโ€”softball, soccer, basketball, flag football or even ultimate frisbee. You will have a blast and get your exercise at the same time.

Join a Group

Working out with others keeps you on target… you’ll enjoy working up a sweat together.

Have a Ball with Your Children

Toss a football across the yard, kick a soccer ball through a park, or take turns swatting a baseball with a bat and running to get the ball.

Hip Hoopla

Remember Hula Hoops? Swirling a hoop around your swiveling hips is fabulous exercise for your abdominal muscles and your entire torso… If you have children, have them join in; they might show you a thing or two.

Jack of All Trades

Jumping jacks can be done anywhere… Try variations such as half-jacks (raise your arms to shoulder height only), power jacks (finish each one with a squat) or scissors jacks (scissors your legs on each jump).