Healthy & Active Lifestyles

Healthy & Active Living Basics

The Delaware Public Health District recommends these key tips for living a healthy lifestyle. If you’re just starting out trying to make healthier changes, first, talk with your health care team. Then when starting to make positive lifestyle changes, try selecting one or two of these activities, and add more to your daily routine over time.

Eat Healthy Foods

Incorporate a variety of healthy foods in your eating habits. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat free or low-fat milk, milk products and alternatives.

Read Nutrition Facts Labels to track sugars fats, proteins and other nutrients in foods.
Include a variety of proteins such as lean meats and poultry, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, soy, nuts, and seeds
Limit added sugars, high amounts of sodium, and saturated fats
For child-bearing families, breastfeed exclusively to 6 months when possible
More information and tips on healthy eating can be found here.

Be Sugar Smart

Added sugars are commonly added to processed and prepared food and drinks. One 12-ounce can of regular soda or pop contains about 10 teaspoons of added sugars. “Rethink Your Drink” and try swapping sugar sweetened beverages with unsweetened choices.

Be Physically Active

The amount of physical activity you need depends mostly on your age but has many short and long term benefits for all ages. However, if you are unable to meet recommendations, try to be as active as you can. Learn more about the recommendations for different age groups here.

Try to move more, and sit less. Try to get a mix of aerobic, muscle, and bone-strengthening activities each week as appropriate for your age. Aerobic activities make your heart beat faster, muscle-strengthening activities help to build muscles, and bone strengthening activities help you to grow stronger bones. Limit TV and computer time, especially for young children
The intensity of an activity can be measuring several ways. Moderate- or vigorous physical activity is recommended weekly for everyone 6 weeks and older. More information on measuring intensity is available here.
Remember that some physical activity is better than none at all. If you have trouble doing physical activity, be as physically active as your abilities and conditions allow.

As you age what you need to be physically active may change, and it’s important to participate in activities that can help improve balance. You can learn more about what you can do to add more physical activity as an older adult here.

Quit Smoking & Limit Alcohol

Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke greatly increases your risk of heart disease and respiratory symptoms If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease. Too much alcohol can raise risks for developing chronic health conditions, injury, and can cause other harm to those who drink and those around hem

Learn more about tobacco use and ways to quit at CDC’s Smoking and Tobacco Use website.
Avoid drinking too much alcohol. Men should have no more than two drinks per day, and women should have no more than one. Learn more at CDC’s Alcohol and Public Health website.

Current and Upcoming Activities, Programs & Events

Healthy Communities Micro Grant Funding Opportunity

The 2025 Healthy Communities Micro Grant (HCMG) application period has closed. The DPHD is happy to partner with the following organizations in 2025:

Partner:	Project Description:	Amount:
Berkshire Township	Community Park Improvements- Concrete Cornhole Set to compliment park development.	$1,829
DACC –Dempsey Career Based Intervention (CBI)	Student Health and Wellness Challenge- Equipment and supplies to implement a program that aims to increase healthy habits and well-being for students.	$1,230
Kingston Township	Community Park Improvements- Amenities to complement a walking path; development of a walking path.	$3,000
Berlin Farms Community	Community Garden- Supplies to create trellises which will provide opportunities for vertical growing.	$1,200
People in Need	Pantry Distribution Improvements- Supplies to support parking lot expansion to protect safety and maintain efficiency.	$2,750
Radnor Township	Community Park Improvements- Amenities to complement walking path; benches & pet waste stations.	$1,200
The St. Michael’s Community	Fitness Equipment for Community Room- Resistance Band Wall Gym.	$2,241
Sunbury Farmers Market	Farmers Market Expansion- Supplies and equipment to support growing Sunbury Farmers Market.	$2,750
Unity Community Center	Community Garden- Supplies to support expansion of garden beds at Unity Park.	$1,790

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Stepping Up to Prevent Falls (SUTPF) Coalition – Quarterly Meeting

The goal of the Stepping Up to Prevent Falls Coalition is to prevent injuries and deaths caused by falls among older adults by convening a group of committed, local partners to implement evidence-based strategies to prevent falls including increasing falls risk assessment, building systems for home assessment and modifications, and increasing access to balance and mobility trainings.

The SUTPF Coalition meets virtually at least once per quarter. If you are interested in learning more about preventing falls among older adults or attending the SUTPF coalition meetings, please contact Taylor Jaggers.

Contact:
Abbey Trimble
740-203-2037
Email

Taylor Jaggers
740-203-2039
Email

Aly Hillier
740-203-2025
Email

Reports & Success Stories

Adventure Connection Guide

The Adventure Connection Guide is a partnership between the DPHD and Preservation Parks of Delaware County. This guide includes an index of various outdoor activities, and information about where someone can go to get more information on how they could participate or try out that activity. We hope you are encouraged to use this guide to help find an adventure in your backyard.

Preventing Injuries from Unintentional Falls

Impacts of falling for aging adults are serious and go beyond just the physical harm, but also affect emotional wellness and quality of life. Those who survive falls and/or serious injury may face consequences such as reduced mobility, chronic pain, increased financial burden or healthcare costs, or new fears around falling,

Click here to learn ways the Injury Prevention Program at DPHD can help to prevent falls in older adults.

Healthy Communities Micro Grant

The 2025 Micro Grant Opportunity is closed. Please check back later for future funding and partnership opportunities.

Food Accessibility Survey

Let’s talk food! What’s easy to find? What’s missing? What needs to change? We want to hear YOUR thoughts on food access, quality, and security where you live. Your feedback helps build better resources and healthier neighborhoods!

Take our Food Survey — your voice matters!

FEEDBACK WANTED! Do you eat, buy, or sell food in Delaware County? We want to hear from YOU!

Join a Community Conversation to share your thoughts on how to meet the food needs of your neighborhood. Your feedback will help support local food access, farming, and nutrition efforts.

Upcoming Dates & Locations: