Abstract
Everyone knows that staying physically active improves one’s health. However, just under half of all adults in the United States don’t engage in regular exercise; even worse, nearly three-quarters of all of U.S. youth sit on the sidelines as well.
What’s surprising is that it doesn’t take much effort to stay active. Just five minutes a day can make a difference. Help to change hearts and minds for the better by teaching this new and innovative five-minute exercise curriculum that targets all age groups. Five exercise components (mindfulness, cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance and bone-strengthening, muscular strength, and flexibility and balance activities) make the experience manageable, adaptable and less intimidating for instructors and participants. Packed with tips, basic directions (including how to pace warm-ups and cool-downs), simple icon-based examples of each exercise and even prompts for discussion of participants’ experiences afterward (for more interactive classes or groups), the five-for-five regimen will soon improve your and your group’s physical activity rate for the better, hopefully creating a legacy of lifelong healthy habits as well.