What’s your idea of the perfect vacation? Perhaps it’s lounging on a beach for days or curling up with a good book in a secluded cabin. Ever think of trying to combine your relaxing getaway with an opportunity to be active? Often we don’t know how to be active on vacation without taking away the restfulness. Vacations can be a breeding ground for overeating and inactivity, but there are ways to stay active while enjoying the time away from home. The key to changing this is to know that active vacations can be rewarding and restful. You can come back energized and ready to tackle life. You can do this in many ways, depending on what best fits your life.

Not everyone can afford, or has the time, to take an adventure vacation to an exotic location. Here are some easy, inexpensive ways to turn even a three-day weekend into a revitalizing combination of rest and activity.

• Check out state or national parks, which typically offer hiking and biking trails that can transform an afternoon into an exciting discovery of nature. The National Park Service celebrates its 100th year in 2016; check out special events at www.nps.gov.
• When you’re at the beach, feel the sand between your toes as you walk around to check out surrounding hotels, seashells, and other curious beach crawlers just like you. For a list of fun beach games and activities for kids (or anyone!),

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We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us and that most of us probably need to eat more of them on a daily basis. There’s a general belief that fresh fruits and vegetables are pricier than canned options, although the canned versions usually contain preservatives and sodium that we don’t need. Fresh produce doesn’t have to be expensive, especially if you eat foods in their peak season. Here are ways to make the most of your food budget and support local farmers at the same time.

• Not sure what’s in season this time of year? The USDA offers a handy list at healthymeals.nal.usda.gov.
• Visit farmers’ markets that offer locally grown foods direct to the public, which can make it less expensive than buying the same foods at a grocery store.

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A revised National Physical Activity Plan was released in April 2016 to replace the original plan set forth in 2010. With recommendations at the national, state, local, and institutional levels, the plan focuses on strategies for increasing the types and amounts of physical activity as recommended by current public health guidelines.

Across the nine societal sectors outlined in the plan—including business, public health, education, faith-based, and community recreation—an alliance of private and nonprofit partners is tasked with launching physical activity campaigns and promoting evidence-based strategies to increase physical activity among other directives. One common theme is to get people walking because it is a low-cost, non intimidating form of physical activity that is appropriate for most people.

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What’s Better for Your Brain: Weights or Cardio?

FRIDAY, April 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — People who live in bustling neighborhoods get at least 90 more minutes of exercise a week than other city dwellers, a new global study finds.

The study included more than 6,800 adults, aged 18 to 66, in 14 cities in 10 countries.

On average, study participants did 37 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity, such as brisk walking or more intense exercise. Among the cities in the study, Baltimore had the lowest average rate of activity (about 29 minutes a day) and Wellington, New Zealand, had the highest (just over 50 minutes a day).

But those in activity-friendly neighborhoods did up to an hour and a half more exercise per week, according to the study published April 1 in The Lancet. These neighborhoods had high residential density, a large number of intersections and public transit stops, and parks within walking distance.

“Neighborhoods with high residential density tend to have connected streets, shops and services — meaning people will be more likely to walk to their local shops. Interestingly, distance to nearest transport stop was not associated with higher levels of physical activity, whereas the number of nearby transport stops was,” study lead author James Sallis, from the University of California, San Diego, said in a journal news release.

“This might mean that with more options, people are more likely to walk further to get to a transport stop that best meets their needs. The number of local parks was also important, since parks not only provide places for sport, but also a pleasant environment to walk in,” he explained.

Physical inactivity is linked with more than 5 million deaths worldwide each year. This study suggests that designing healthier cities can help tackle the problem of physical inactivity, according to the researchers.

The “total health gained by changing to optimal activity-friendly environments will be close to 2 million fewer deaths and around 3 percent fewer non-communicable diseases,” Dr. Shifalika Goenka, of the Public Health Foundation of India, wrote in an accompanying journal editorial.

“We need interventions to counter the rapidly growing inactivity that urbanization leads to, by providing environments that change the way we live our daily lives. It is high time that built environments provide the quadruple boost towards health, environment, equity (or public good), and habitat,” Goenka concluded.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers a guide to physical activity.

SOURCE: The Lancet, news release, April 1, 2016

An Urban Runner’s Delight:

The Scottsdale greenbelt stretches through 11 miles of parks, lakes and golf courses. From all the greenery to beautiful grounds full of ponds and ducks, it doesn’t get much more picturesque than that! The beauty of the greenbelt is that it’s located in the heart of Scottsdale and is easily accessible from just about anywhere near downtown. Even better, it’s ideal for distance runners and joggers alike. Whether you’re looking for a quick workout or you’re aiming for a lengthy run, you’ll be able to choose the distance that suits you.

Don’t want to tackle the whole greenbelt? Get a taste by going for a run through El Dorado Park just east of Miller Road and Oak Street. This quaint little park is ideal for a quick run to get the endorphins flowing. You’ll pass by large ponds and grassy areas as you navigate the park’s running and biking paths.

If you’re looking to rev up your cardio, continue north and check out these sights along the way:

Click here for a complete interactive map of the greenbelt.

Whether you’re hitting the pavement to soak up the urban setting or you’re ready to blaze dirt trails, Scottsdale’s scenery will be the highlight of your run on any path you choose!

Information from EXPERIENCE SCOTTSDALE