Get Moving with Dad This Father's Day, American Council on Exercise (ACE) Says

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 14 Jun 2005 - 9:00 PST

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Every June the question arises: "What should I get Dad for Father's Day?" This year, change up the usual gift giving routine and ask Dad to head outdoors for quality time and exercise. The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's nonprofit fitness authority, says many common summer activities really turn up the calorie-burning heat.

"Encouraging Dads to be more active is one of the most thoughtful and caring ways to honor them," said Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for ACE. "It has been consistently shown that men who exercise regularly are less likely to develop a wide range of diseases and chronic illnesses (e.g., coronary heart disease, certain forms of cancer, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, etc.). Furthermore, being out of shape compromises a man's functional capabilities and reduces his overall quality of life."

ACE suggests sharing the following Father's Day calorie-burning activities with Dad and the whole family (calorie burn based on 160-lb person):

-- Set a tee time. Discover the fun and fitness benefits of golfing with Dad and skip the golf cart. Golfing can burn up to 370 calories an hour (6.2 calories/minute) if you carry your own clubs throughout the course.

-- Grab a racquet. Get the whole family together for a tennis game or two. Playing tennis burns roughly 8 calories/minute playing tennis, that's almost 500 calories for one hour of play.

-- Take a hike. Find a nearby mountain or trail to hike with dad. It's estimated you can burn 6.7 calories/minute or over 400 calories hiking for one hour.

For more information on these and other calorie-burning activities and more visit the ACE Web site acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitfacts_display.aspx?itemid=322.

About ACE

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's Authority on Fitness, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. As the nation's "workout watchdog," ACE sponsors university-based exercise science research and testing that targets fitness products and trends. ACE sets standards for fitness professionals and is the world's largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE Web site at http://www.acefitness.org.

Kristie Spalding
American Council on Exercise
(800) 546-7470
kristie.spalding@acefitness.org

Cassie Piercey
American Council on Exercise
(858) 576-6533
cassie.piercey@acefitness.org

http://www.acefitness.org

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