Are you up for a challenge?

Bowling is a fun way to help you get active. For that reason, we recommend that you use bowling to earn the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Challenge. The challenge was created to help you add activity to your life and reward you when you do so. Just bowling two games with a couple of friends completes 40 of your 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Bowl a third game and you have it made!

The challenge is for anyone, from students to seniors, but it’s geared toward people who want to set themselves on the path to fitness success.

Here are the goals:

• Adults (that’s anyone aged 18 and older): You need to be active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, for 6 out of 8 weeks. As an alternative, you can count your daily activity steps using a pedometer (goal: 8,500).
• Kids and teens (that’s anyone between 6 and 17 years): You need to be active 60 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, for 6 out of 8 weeks. As an alternative, you can count your daily activity steps using a pedometer (girls’ goal: 11,000; boys’ goal: 13,000).

Here are some fun fitness facts about bowling:

• Bowling is an anaerobic type of exercise.
• Like walking with free weights, it works a lot of muscle groups not normally exercised. Bowling two games results in walking around a half a mile!
• Bowling two games exercises 184 muscles while swinging around 576 pounds.
• Bowling helps with weight control and weight loss. Bowling two games can burn between 320 to 580 calories.
• Bowling helps shape you up. It works tendons, joints and ligaments in your arms and legs, plus improves a person's balance, flexibility and posture.
• Bowling helps build a healthy mind and body. Fun, friendships and stress reduction through bowling all play a role in health.
• Bowling is the sport where no one rides the bench. More activity each outing than many other recreations provides and no rain outs!