Have you been waiting for a little extra motivation to get outside and exercise? Luckily, spring is the season of activity for a cause and there are hundreds of events in the coming months dedicated to supporting nonprofits through gifts of time and physical activity.

These events are joyous, full of community spirit and care. This is a wonderful environment in which to practice mindful movement. People from all walks of life participate, so no matter what your fitness level, you will find others moving at your pace.

In our busy lives, our attention can stray from health and physical activity. These events are an opportunity to give thanks for the strength and mobility of our bodies, as well as use these blessing to help others and contribute to our own physical health.

If you live in the United States, visit Causes Calendar for listings of upcoming walks and bike rides to support a cause or organization that is dear to you. If you support a walk that is not listed on causes calendar, please share the details with us in a comment below.

Committing to an active fundraising event is a great way to hold ourselves accountable.  Once we have committed to an event and raised money to support our activity, we will have no excuse to avoid the exercise!

If you are just beginning a workout routine for the spring, an event like this can be an extra motivator for sticking to that routine. Many of these events run only for a few miles, across a gentle terrain, so they are well within reach of someone who is just starting to become more active—you can even make it a family affair by inviting young children or older relatives to join you. If you are already at a higher fitness level, you can increase your physical exertion by setting a time goal for completing the activity, which will require you to walk briskly or cycle at a healthy clip.

According to The Nutrition Source, studies show that both brisk walking and cycling “substantially reduce the chances of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in different populations.” Brisk walking and cycling seem to be better for weight control than slow walking.

Find physical activity guidelines for all age groups on this Nutrition Source page.

Photo by twodolla from Flikr's Creative Commons