Being physically active is an important component to overall health, and contributes significantly to individuals’ physical and mental wellbeing.  There is a continued need to promote physical activity among Kentucky families.  According to the CDC, 29.7% of Kentucky’s adults reported that during the past month, they had not participated in any physical activity, and only 21.4% of Kentucky children and teens were physically active for at least 60 minutes per day on each of the 7 days prior to the survey. 

In an effort to promote health and wellbeing in Kentucky, the Grayson County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences presented the Move Your Way: Exercise for Everybody program.  This program aims to increase daily physical activity among older adults, leading to overall health benefits and increased quality of life, by teaching the importance of physical activity to overall well-being, providing participants with the opportunity to be active, and showing participants ways to incorporate movement into their daily life.  

40 individuals participated in the program in Grayson County and surrounding counties.  As a result of the program, 78% of participants reported an increased ability to describe the benefits of physical activity to overall health.  100% of participants reported plans to increase the amount of time that they are physically active, and 100% plan to use tools from this program to incorporate movement into their daily routine.

After the program, one participant reported that this lesson taught them, “To just move!  Don't get caught up in time structure.  Just build it into life.” Another participant said that they learned that “Small amounts of activity throughout the day still adds up to overall [health] benefits.”