MUNCIE, Ind. -- Hoosiers don't move around enough, a Ball State University exercise physiologist says during National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.

Gregory Dwyer, associate director of Ball State's Adult Physical Fitness Program and state co-chair of the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity, said warmer weather means it's time to increase outdoor physical activity.

"Research shows you don't need to work out vigorously to consider yourself active and healthy, but more people today are doing nothing at all," Dwyer said. "We can't all go to a neighborhood health club, but we can become more active in our day-to-day lives," Dwyer said.

Approximately 30 percent of Hoosiers are completely sedentary, Dwyer said, and more than 75 percent do not achieve the recommended amount of regular physical activity. 

"If you try to avoid activity, you're sedentary," Dwyer said.

But Dwyer says the definition of sedentary goes beyond just a lack of regular exercise.

"How close do you park to the front door of the store?" he asks. "Do you use a riding mower? Do you use an escalator to go up one floor when there are stairs nearby?"

Indiana ranks 33rd in the nation for prevalence of sedentary lifestyle, Dwyer said, and nearly 30 percent of Indiana's residents are considered obese.

"To become more active requires a complete changeover in the way you think," Dwyer said. "You need to see possibilities in just walking around the block."

Consequently, Dwyer said, physical inactivity has a significant impact on our health. Nationwide, more than 250,000 deaths each year can be attributed to a lack of physical activity.

"Some people need the support and structure of an organized program like our Adult Physical Fitness Program," Dwyer said. "But the goal for most people should be to learn how to be active on your own."