MAY IS ASTHMA AWARENESS & NATIONAL
PHYSICAL FITNESS MONTH
Asthma can be triggered by many things including smoke, infections, exercise, allergens, acid reflux, weather changes, and anxiety. A severe asthma episode, or asthma attack, may lead to a medical emergency.
Many people who have asthma are able to live normal lives if their asthma is properly managed. The best way to prevent an asthma attack is to follow your treatment plan, avoid your triggers, and take your rescue inhaler as soon as you notice symptoms.
Test your knowledge on asthma by taking this brief quiz.
National Physical Fitness Month!
Regular physical activity improves your overall health and reduces the risk for many chronic diseases.
Benefits of Regular Physical Activity:
- Helps control weight
- Lowers the risk of heart disease, cancers and type 2 diabetes
- Improves mental health and cognitive function
- Strengthens bones and muscles by slowing the loss of bone density
There are two types of physical activity needed every week to improve your health: aerobic and muscle-strengthening. The weekly recommended physical activity for adults includes 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and 2 days of muscle-strengthening OR 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic physical activity and 2 days of muscle-strengthening.
Being active for 5 or more hours each week and spreading the activity over at least 3 days provides the best health benefits. You can break your activity into smaller chunks of time during the day - as long as you're physically active for at least 10 minutes at a time.
Step To It Challenge
Step to It is an annual event held every May that motivates people to become more physically active. The challenge is not just about walking - the online step converter makes it easy to know how many steps you’ve achieved for each activity. Grab a few friends and sign-up for the Step To It Challenge and increase your physical activity during the month of May!
Do you know your physical fitness dos & don’ts? Take this quiz provided by webmd.com.
Yours in health,
Dr. Howard Epstein,
Chief Medical Officer
PreferredOne
This information is provided by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the Asthma & Allergy Foundation, the CDC, and webmd.com.