In 1983, around the time Olivia Newton-John was “getting physical,” the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition declared May as National Physical Fitness Month. This month, the Council makes extra strides to promote the benefits of a physically active, nutritious lifestyle. Their hope is that these positive habits will blossom this month, along with the budding blossoms in your backyard.
There is no definite reason the Council chose May, so perhaps it’s because May is when the weather is pleasant enough for most of the U.S. to enjoy and get physical in. Of course, Tampa Bay enjoys pleasant weather much earlier than May, but Americans in cooler cities like Boston and Chicago are basically trapped indoors until May. (Being from Boston, I know first-hand.) So, for one reason or another, May is National Physical Fitness Month. If you can’t bear the thought of hauling your (lazy) butt to the gym, try other activities (some more fun than others) that will burn calories.
This article appears in May 17-23, 2012.