This event has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
May is National Physical Fitness Month and to celebrate Schenectady County is encouraging our residents to get up and move! Schenectady County Moves a Million is exactly what is sounds like, a campaign to help residents become more physically active and together we hope to move for one million minutes in the month of May.
With a goal set, we want to track the minutes logged towards the goal so we can see our progress.
There’s no sign up necessary to participate!
All you have to do to contribute your active minutes to our goal is to submit an easy online form. Here’s how:
- Visit our on-line Activity Entry form.
- You’ll enter in some demographic information so we can get a sense of who is participating. This will also allow us to enter you into a participation drawing for a fitness related prize!
- Log your activity and your minutes. Minutes can be tracked in increments as small as 15 minutes.
- Keep moving and repeat! There’s no restriction on the number of entries an individual can submit.
Are you an employer who would like to participate? Simply fill out the information request on the right side of this page and let us know you want to become a participating business or organization! Our Schenectady County Public Health Services Team will work with your business or oganization to get your employees involved. We have compiled a number of resources for employers to utilize to promote this initiative to their employees which are included in our SCMoves Toolkit where you can find a sample email, promotional materials, and more.
Incorporating Physical Activity Into Your Life
We know that incorporating physical activity into your daily routines can be difficult. That’s why we put together the list below for some easy tips on how to do so!
Everyday Life
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
- Park further away from your destination to make yourself walk longer.
- Exercise in the morning before your day can mess up your plans.
- Mow your own grass instead of hiring someone else to do it.
- Stand up while on the telephone.
- When golfing, walk instead of using a golf cart.
- Make it fun! Take a dance or Zumba class.
- Exercise during commercials. Push-ups or squats are easy to do anywhere!
- Team up with a friend! Having someone to work out with will make it more fun.
At Work
- Email and call less internally. Go and see a coworker you need to talk to.
- If you are on a call or webinar, stand and stretch. Make standing and stretching a priority every 30 minutes.
- Get a standing desk if your employer offers it.
- Take your meeting on the road- walk with a coworker and strategize ideas.
- Have sneakers at your desk so you can easily walk when you have the opportunity.
- Institute moving breaks during long meetings.
- If you’re reasonably close, bike or walk to work. Both your body and the environment will thank you!
- If you have to sit, do leg raises under your desk. Engage your core by drawing your belly button in and holding it. Work on your posture and maintain sitting straight.
- Form a lunchtime walking group!
To reduce the risk of injury, before beginning any new exercise activity or program, please consult a healthcare provider for appropriate exercise prescription and safety precautions. Any sample exercise instruction and advice presented are in no way intended as a substitute for medical consultation.