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May is National Physical Activity Month
May is National Physical Activity Month & Lyme Disease Awareness Month
According to the US Department of Health, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults:
- Aim for 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week. That’s 30 minutes 5 days a week. Moderate activity includes things like walking fast, dancing, swimming, and raking leaves.
- Do muscle-strengthening activities – like lifting weights or using exercise bands – at least 2 days a week.
Physical activity is for everyone! No matter what shape you are in, you can find activities that work for you. Together, we can rise to the challenge and get more active during the month of May!
Log on to the portal and use the fitness planner to see what exercises are right for you and for achieving your goals.
Get a fitness buddy! Exercising is more fun when you are doing it with someone else.
Take your meetings on a walk. Instead of sitting in an office to meet, talk and walk. It’s healthier for your body and is proven to make you more creative and get better results from your meeting. Watch this 3 minute TedTalk video for more info: Got a Meeting? Take a Walk.
Monthly Tips & Recipe
Topics in this month’s newsletter include learning to love exercise, working out while working, and a healthy recipe for Pork Tenderloin with a delicious Asian sauce.
Download this month’s newsletter
Tips for preventing Tick Bites & Lyme Disease
“In the midwestern and eastern United States, Ixodes scapularis or deer tick is the primary vector of Lyme disease. Ticks don’t start out being infected with Lyme. They get it by feeding on an infected animal, often a mouse or other small rodent. Then, they pass it along to the next animal or person they bite.”
- Cover up! Ticks can’t jump, they crawl or fall onto you from twigs, grass, and tall weeds. If you are hiking out in meadows or wooded areas tighten the bottom of your pants (or pull your socks over your pant legs) and tighten the end of your shirt sleeves. Wear a hat with a tight brim to protect your head.
- Wear bug repellant. There are effective tick repellents made from non-toxic ingredients that you can even use on your dog! Look for natural bug repellants that contain geranium, citronella, and/or lemon essential oils. You can make it at home, too! Mix together 20 drops of each essential oil in a 2 oz. spray bottle then fill up the rest with witch hazel. Spray every few hours to remain effective.
- Check for ticks. This one seems obvious, but you have to check for ticks each time you go out in the woods or the wild. Look inside creases where they would like to hide like the groin, armpit, back of knees, etc.
- Kill ticks in clothing. Put all of your clothes that you wore and possibly exposed to ticks in a hot dryer for at least 10 minutes when you get home. This will kill any stowaway ticks.
- If you get a tick bite: Don’t burn the tick, cover it in Vaseline, or squeeze it. Use fine point tweezers or a tick removal tool to pull the entire tick out including its mouth. Get a “Tick Key” – a tool that easily and safely remove ticks and it fits on a key chain! Tick Key on Amazon.com
About our Employee Wellness Program: We guide you on your path to living well.
Pathways to SmartCare is the Wellness Division of American HealthCare Group. We serve a variety of groups like Schools, Employers and Affordable Housing residents through Supportive Services.
We created Pathways to SmartCare to address the human aspect of controlling health care costs. We aim to empower group members to “Make Smart Choices” with their health care dollars.
