Make It Your Mission to Move This Summer

News provided by

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Jun 11, 2012, 04:12 ET

Orthopaedic surgeons offer tips and resources to get active

ROSEMONT, Ill., June 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an effort to promote mobility and daily exercise, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is urging the public to get active this summer with their Get Up! Get Out! and Get Moving! campaign.

"When activities and healthy lifestyle choices are incorporated into daily living, staying active becomes second nature," said orthopaedic surgeon and AAOS spokesperson John Purvis, MD. "It can be as simple as making a list of fun, active things that you like to do. Then begin to make those things a part of everyday living. It is important to reach out to kids, because the younger people start moving, the more likely they are to continue that lifestyle into adulthood."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 12.5 million children in the U.S are obese. Obesity can affect a person's mental, emotional, social and physical health. Physical activities help to combat these issues. For example, weight-bearing activities cause bones to build more cells and become stronger. Without weight-bearing exercise, bone health is threatened, but individuals who are active everyday build strong bones for life.

The Academy is partnering with the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) to educate and empower people to get moving with television and print public service announcements. The 60 second television ad "Sedentary," humorously depicts all of the things that a child can do without moving. It is a light and memorable take to help raise awareness on the serious subject of obesity.

Jump start your mission to move this summer by following some of the Academy's mobility tips:

Tips for Kids

Plan to be active as much as possible and make physical activity part of your daily routine.
Playing is exercising too, so play tag with friends, swim or go bike riding. Use your imagination to come up with ways to have fun and get exercise at the same time.

Tips for Parents

Be a role model. Join children for a bike ride, a ball game, or a long walk.
Use physical activity as a reward. Plan a family trip to the park.
Make exercise part of everyone's daily routine. Chores such as raking leaves, painting, or walking the dog are great ways to increase physical activity.
Schedule physical activity. Think about planning activities in 10- to 15-minute blocks of time throughout the day.
Make it easy to be active. Plan indoor areas for physical activity.
Make it fun to be active. Select toys and gifts that promote physical activity.
Exercise can be fun! Put the emphasis on fun rather than on winning.

To learn more about Get Up! Get Out! Get Moving!, visit:

OrthoInfo.org
Watch Television PSA "Sedentary"
About AAOS
Facebook.org/aaos1
Twitter.com/aaos1
A Nation in Motion: One Patient at a Time

More than one in four Americans have bone or joint health problems, making them the greatest cause of lost work days in the U.S. When orthopaedic surgeons restore mobility and reduce pain, they help people get back to work and to independent, productive lives. Orthopaedic surgeons provide the best value in American medicine in both human and economic terms and access to high-quality orthopaedic care keeps this "Nation in Motion." To learn more, to read hundreds of patient stories or to submit your own story, visit anationinmotion.org.

SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons