Regular physical activity can improve health and reduce a person's risk of developing (or worsening) a number of health problems, including nearly every major disease. Some physical activity is better than none but increasing the intensity, frequency and/or duration of workouts lead to greater health benefits and greater quality of life. The Macomb County Health Department aims to reduce the proportion of Macomb County adults who engage in no leisure-time physical activity from 30% to 25% by 2021.

Both aerobic (endurance) and muscle-strengthening (resistance) activities provide health benefits. For adults, most of those benefits begin to occur with at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (such as brisk walking, wheeling in a wheelchair, or general gardening) each week, and two or more sessions per week of muscle-strengthening activities that involve muscles in the legs, hips, chest, back, abdomen, shoulders, and arms.

Examples of aerobic exercise include brisk walking, running, bicycling, jumping rope, and swimming. Examples of muscle-strengthening exercises include lifting weights, using elastic bands, or using bodyweight for resistance, such as push-ups. More examples and specific guidelines can be found in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines.

Data source: The Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth (MiPHY)

The Macomb County Health Department has identified chronic disease and healthy lifestyle as a priority in the 2017 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) after reviewing quantitative and qualitative data in the Community Health Assessment (CHA). You can read more about the CHA and corresponding CHIP and related work group activities on the Community Health Assessment resource page. We aim to reduce the proportion of Macomb County adults who engage in no leisure-time physical activity from 30% to 25% through education of school systems and the public, through increased physical activity opportunities, and by working in collaboration with other organizations to promote physical activity.

In coordination with local hospitals, community stakeholders, and partner organizations, more than 30 diverse Macomb County community organizations identified four priority areas for the Community Health Improvement Plan. Chronic Disease and Healthy Lifestyles is one of the four main priority areas and we aim to reduce the proportion of Macomb County adults who engage in no leisure-time physical activity, including middle school students.