Tips to Help 

You Get Active

Tips to Help 

You Get Active

U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

WIN Weight-control Information Network
1

 ou know that physical activity is 

 good for you. So what is stopping 

 you from getting out there and 

getting at it? Maybe you think that working 

out is boring, joining a gym is costly, or 

doing one more thing during your busy day 

is impossible. Physical activity can be part 

of your daily life. This booklet can help you 

get moving by offering ideas to beat your 

roadblocks to getting active. 

Why should I be physically 

active?

You may know that regular physical activity 

can help you control your weight. But do 

you know why? Physical activity burns 

calories. When you burn more calories than 

you eat each day, you will take off pounds. 

You can also avoid gaining weight by 

balancing the number of calories you burn 

with the number of calories you eat. 

Some people 

are active every 

day. You see 

them walking 

through your 

neighborhood, 

carrying a gym 

bag to work, or 

running around 

the park. How 

do people make 

regular physical 

activity a part 

of their lives? 

Throughout 

this booklet you 

will hear from 

people who have 

done it. Maybe 

their stories will 

inspire you.

Y

Tips to Help 

You Get Active

Tips to Help 

You Get Active

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Regular physical activity may also help prevent or delay the 

onset of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, 

high blood pressure, stroke, and colon cancer. If you have 

one of these health problems, physical activity may improve 

your condition.* Regular physical activity may also increase 

your energy and boost your mood.

* If you are a man and over age 40 or a woman and over age 50, 

or have a chronic health problem, talk to your health care provider 

before starting a vigorous physical activity program. You do not 

need to talk to your provider before starting an activity like walking.

What is standing in my way?

Would you like to do more physical activity but do not know 

how to make it a part of your life? This booklet describes 

some common barriers to physical activity and ways to 

overcome them. After you read them, try writing down the 

top two or three barriers that you face on pages 13 and 14. 

Then write down solutions that you think will work for you. 

You can make regular physical activity a part of your life!

Can you use any of these ideas to become more physically active?

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3

 Personal Barriers

Barrier: Between work, family, and other demands, 

I am too busy to exercise.

Solutions: Make physical activity a 

priority. Carve out some 

time each week to be 

active and put it on your 

calendar. Try waking up a 

half-hour earlier to walk, 

scheduling lunchtime 

workouts, or taking an 

evening fitness class.

Build physical activity into your routine 

chores. Rake the yard, wash the car, or do 

energetic housework. That way you do what 

needs to get done and move around too.

Make family time physically active. Plan a 

weekend hike through a park, family softball 

game, or an evening walk around the block.

Barrier: By the end of a long day, I am just too tired 

to work out.

Solutions: Break your workout into three 10-minute 

segments each day. Taking three short walks 

during the day may seem easier and less 

tiring than one 30-minute workout, and is just 

as good for you. 
4

Find another time during the day to work 

out. If evening workouts are not for you, then 

try a bike ride before breakfast or a walk at 

lunchtime.

Sneak physical activity into your days.

Take stairs instead of elevators, park further 

away in parking lots, and walk in place while 

watching TV.

Barrier: I think my weight is fine, so I am not 

motivated to exercise.

Solutions: Think about the other health benefits of 

physical activity. Regular physical activity 

may help lower cholesterol and blood 

pressure, and lower your odds of having heart 

disease, type 2 diabetes, or cancer. Research 

shows that people who are overweight, active, 

and fit live longer than people who are not 

overweight but are inactive, and unfit. Also, 

physical activity may lift your mood and 

increase your energy level.

Do it just for fun. Play a team sport, work 

in a garden, or learn a new dance and make 

getting fit something fun.

Train for a charity event. You can work to 

help others while you work out.
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Barrier: Getting on a treadmill or stationary bike is 

boring.

Solutions: Meet a friend for workouts. If your buddy 

is on the next bike or treadmill, your workout 

will be less boring.

Watch TV or listen to music or a book 

on tape while you walk or pedal indoors.

Check out music or books on tape from your 

local library.

Get outside. A change in scenery can relieve 

your boredom. 

If you are 

riding a bike 

outside, be 

sure to wear 

a helmet and 

learn safe 

rules of the 

road. For more 

information 

about bike 

safety, read 

Bike Safety 

Tips from 

the American 

Academy of Family Physicians 

(http://familydoctor.org/692.xml).

 

Mac in 

Tucson, 

Arizona, 

says, “I 

would take 

walks in the 

morning 

and see a 

lot of birds. 

Now I bring 

my camera 

along and 

get some 

great shots 

of birds. 

Taking 

pictures 

makes 

walking 

more fun. 

I donʼt get 

bored. I mail 

my pictures 

to my 

grandson 

and he 

enjoys 

them.”
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Barrier: I am afraid I will hurt myself.

Solutions: Start slowly. If you are starting a new 

physical activity program, go slow at the start. 

Even if you are doing an activity that you once 

did well, start up again slowly to lower your 

risk of injury or burnout.

Choose moderate-intensity physical 

activities. You are not likely to hurt yourself 

by walking 30 minutes per day. Doing 

vigorous physical activities may increase 

your risk for injury, but moderate-intensity 

physical activity is low risk.

Take a class. A knowledgeable group fitness 

instructor should be able to teach you how 

to move with proper form and lower risk for 

injury. The instructor can watch your actions 

during class and let you know if you are doing 

things right.

Choose water workouts. Whether you swim 

laps or try water aerobics, working out in the 

water is easy on your joints and helps reduce 

sore muscles and injury.

Work with a personal trainer. A certified 

personal trainer should be able to show 

you how to warm up, cool down, use fitness 

equipment like treadmills and weight-training 

machines, and use proper form to help lower 
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your risk for injury. Personal training sessions 

may be cheap or costly, so find out about fees 

before making an appointment.

Barrier: I have never been into sports.

Solutions: Find a physical activity that you enjoy. You 

do not have to be an athlete to benefit from 

physical activity. Try yoga, hiking, or planting 

a garden.

Choose an activity that you can stick with, 

like walking. Just put one foot in front of 

the other. Use the time you spend walking to 

relax, talk with a friend or family member, or 

just enjoy the scenery. 

Barrier: I do not want to spend a lot of money to 

join a gym or buy workout gear.

Solutions: Choose free activities. Garden, take your 

children to the park to play, lift plastic milk 

jugs filled with water or sand, or take a walk.

Find out if your job offers any discounts 

on memberships. Some companies get lower 

membership rates at fitness or community 

centers. Other companies will even pay for 

part of an employeeʼs membership fee.
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Check out your local recreation or 

community center. These centers may cost 

less than other gyms, fitness centers, or health 

clubs.

Choose physical activities that do not 

require any special gear. Walking requires 

only a pair of sturdy shoes. To dance, just turn 

on some music.

Barrier: I do not have anyone to watch my kids 

while I work out.

Solutions: Do something physically active with your 

kids. Kids need physical activity too. No 

matter what age your kids are, you can find 

an activity you can do together. Dance to 

music, take a walk, run around the park, or 

play basketball or soccer together.

Take turns with another parent to watch 

the kids. One of you minds the kids while the 

other one works out.

Hire a baby-sitter.

Look for a fitness or community center 

that offers childcare. Centers that have 

childcare are becoming more popular. Cost 

and quality vary, so get all the information up 

front.
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John from Chicago says, “When I moved to Chicago, I joined a 

basketball team that some people in my office put together. 

Itʼs been great for building relationships with co-workers and 

getting rid of stress. We are all of different ages and abilities, but 

we are competitive too. It is social and fun.”

Barrier: My family and friends are not physically 

active.

Solutions: Do not let that stop you. Do it for yourself. 

Enjoy the rewards̶such as better sleep, a 

happier mood, more energy, and a stronger 

body̶you get from working out.

Join a class or sports league where people 

count on you to show up. If your basketball 

team or dance partner counts on you, you will 

not want to miss a workout, even if your family 

and friends are not involved. 

Barrier: I would be embarrassed if my neighbors or 

friends saw me exercising.

Solutions: Ask yourself if it really matters. You are doing 

something positive for your health and that is 

something to be proud of. You may even inspire 

others to get physically active too.

Invite a friend or neighbor to join you. You 

may feel less self-conscious if you are not alone.

Go to a park, nature trail, or fitness or 

community center to be physically active.
10

 Place Barriers

Barrier: My neighborhood does not have sidewalks.

Solutions: Find a safe place to walk. Instead of walking 

in the street, walk in a friend or family 

memberʼs neighborhood that has sidewalks. 

Walk during your lunch break at work. Find 

out if you can walk at a local school track.

Work out in the yard. Do yard work or wash 

the car. These count as physical activity too.

Barrier: The winter is too cold/summer is too hot to 

be active outdoors.

Solutions: Walk around the mall.

Join a fitness or community center. Find 

one that lets you 

pay only for the 

months or classes 

you want, instead 

of the whole year.

Exercise at home.

Work out to fitness 

videos or DVDs. 

Check a different 

one out from the 

library each week for variety.
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Jennifer from Detroit says, “I needed to find something to do to 

keep off the extra 5 pounds I gain every winter. I didnʼt feel like 

doing anything after work, when it is already dark. So, I started 

working out at a fitness center near my office at lunchtime. I do 

the treadmill and lift weights 3 days a week. It makes me feel 

great. Also, I donʼt pay for my membership during the summer, 

when Iʼd rather be outside.”

Barrier: I do not feel safe exercising by myself.

Solutions: Join or start a walking group. You can enjoy 

added safety and company as you walk.

Take an exercise class at a nearby fitness 

or community center.

Work out at home. You donʼt need a lot of 

space. Turn on the radio and dance or follow 

along with a fitness show on TV.
12

 Health Barriers

Barrier: I have a health problem (diabetes, heart 

disease, asthma, arthritis) that I do not 

want to make worse.

Solutions: Talk with your health care professional.

Most health problems are helped by physical 

activity. Find out what physical activities you 

can safely do and follow advice about length 

and intensity of workouts.

Start slowly. Take it easy at first and see 

how you feel before trying more challenging 

workouts. Stop if you feel out of breath, dizzy, 

faint, or nauseated, or if you have pain.

Barrier: I have an injury and do not know what 

physical activities, if any, I can do.

Solutions: Talk with your health care professional.

Ask your physician or physical therapist 

about what physical activities you can safely 

perform. Follow advice about length and 

intensity of workouts.

Start slowly. Take it easy at first and see 

how you feel before trying more challenging 

workouts. Stop if you feel pain.
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Work with a personal trainer. A 

knowledgeable personal trainer should be 

able to help you design a fitness plan around 

your injury.

What can I do to break 

through my roadblocks?

What are the top two or three roadblocks to 

physical activity that you face? What can you 

do to break through these barriers? Use this 

space to write down the barriers you face and 

solutions you can use to overcome them.

Barrier 1:

Solutions:
14

Barrier 2:

Solutions:

Barrier 3:

Solutions:
15

 Whatʼs next?

You have thought about ways to beat your 

roadblocks to physical activity. Now, create 

your road map for adding physical activity to 

your days in the following three steps.

Know your goal.

Set up short-term goals, like walking 10 

minutes a day, 3 days a week, and try to 

build up to at least 30 minutes of moderateintensity physical activity on most days of the 

week̶or preferably, every day of the week. 

Moderate-intensity physical activity makes 

you breathe harder, but you should still have 

enough breath to carry on a conversation. 

You may need to be physically active for more 

than 30 minutes a day to help you lose and 

keep off extra weight.

Track your 

progress by writing 

down your goals 

and what you have 

done each day, 

including the type 

of activity and how 

long you spent 

doing it. Seeing 

your progress in 

black-and-white can 

help keep you motivated. 

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See your health care provider if 

necessary.

If you are a man and over age 40 or a woman 

and over age 50, or have a chronic health 

problem such as heart disease, high blood 

pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, or obesity, 

talk to your health care provider before 

starting a vigorous physical activity program. 

You do not need to talk to your provider 

before starting an activity like walking.

Answer questions about how physical 

activity will fit into your life.

Think about answers to the following four 

questions. You can write your answers down 

on page 18 or on another sheet of paper. 

Your answers will be your road map to your 

physical activity program.

What physical activities will you do? List 

the activities you would like to do, such as 

walking, energetic yard work or housework, 

joining a sports league, exercising with a 

video, dancing, swimming, bicycling, or taking 

a class at a fitness or community center. 

Think about sports or other activities that you 

enjoyed doing when you were younger. Could 

you enjoy one of these activities again?

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3
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When will you be physically active? List the 

days and times you could do each activity on 

your list, such as first thing in the morning, 

during lunch break from work, after dinner, or 

on Saturday afternoon. Look at your calendar 

or planner to find the days and times that 

work best.

Who will remind you to get off the couch?

List the people̶your spouse, sibling, parent, 

or friends̶who can support your efforts to 

become physically active. Give them ideas 

about how they could be supportive, like 

offering encouraging words, watching your 

kids, or working out with you.

When will you start your physical activity 

program? Set a date when you will start 

getting active. The date might be the first 

meeting of an exercise class you have signed 

up for, or a date you will meet a friend for 

a walk. Write the date on your calendar. 

Then stick to it. Before you know it, physical 

activity will become a regular part of your life.
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What physical activities will you do?

When will you be physically active?

Who will remind you to get off the couch?

When will you start your physical activity program?
Additional Resources

For more ideas about how physical activity can help you 

control your weight, read WINʼs fact sheet Physical Activity 

and Weight Control.

If you are looking for tips about eating well and adding 

physical activity to your life, read Healthy Eating and 

Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan: Tips for Adults

from WIN. Available in English and Spanish.

For tips about starting a walking program, read 

Walking . . . A Step in the Right Direction from WIN. 

Available in English and Spanish. To find out about 

walking groups in your area, visit the American Volkssport 

Associationʼs website at www.ava.org. If you are already 

the member of a walking group, you may be interested to 

learn about America on the Move, a national initiative that 

encourages active living and healthy eating. Information for 

walking groups is posted on the initiativeʼs website at 

www.americaonthemove.org. 

If you are a very large person and want to get fit, read 

Active at Any Size from WIN.

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Weight-control Information Network

1 WIN WAY

Bethesda, MD 20892-3665

Phone: (202) 828-1025

Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627

FAX: (202) 828-1028

Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: www.win.niddk.nih.gov

The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a service 

of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney 

Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, which is the Federal 

Governmentʼs lead agency responsible for biomedical research 

on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress (Public Law 

103-43), WIN provides the general public, health professionals, 

the media, and Congress with up-to-date, science-based health 

information on weight control, obesity, physical activity, and 

related nutritional issues. 

Publications produced by WIN are reviewed by both NIDDK 

scientists and outside experts. This publication was also reviewed 

by Steven Blair, P.E.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, 

Cooper Institute; John Jakicic, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Health 

and Physical Activity and Director, Physical Activity and Weight 

Management Research Center, University of Pittsburgh; and David 

Kelley, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Director, Obesity and 

Nutrition Research Center, University of Pittsburgh.

This publication is not copyrighted. WIN encourages users of this 

brochure to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.

This publication is also available at www.win.niddk.nih.gov.
National Institute of Diabetes and 

Digestive and Kidney Diseases

NIH Pub No. 06-5578 

January 2006

U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health