Regular activity will improve your health. It will make you stronger and less likely to become ill. If will keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp and improve your mood…and it’s fun!!
Be active
Humans evolved to be on the move regularly, but modern lifestyles have many people leading quite sedentary lives, sitting at desks or in front of a computer screen or television many hours of the day, which is not good for well-being.
It doesn’t cost anything to get our blood pumping. We can walk, hike, run, bike, swim, play catch, shoot baskets or kick a ball around. We can go to a gym, do yoga or pilates, join a sports team, or play golf, tennis or squash with a friend. We can go tramping, kayaking, or surfing.
Sometimes it is good just to relax; perhaps we just need to lie on a beach or while away some time by ourselves in the stillness of a forest or the peacefulness of a river. The opportunities are endless, the cost is usually nothing, but the experience will energise you and lift your mood.
Longer holidays will help rejuvenate you. A holiday away from home can be expensive and resource-heavy, especially if you fly or drive long distances. However, holidaying can also be very cheap; you can go camping or on a hiking, kayaking or cycling trip, for example. It is a great way to recharge your batteries and lift your spirits.
Being active should be fun. It is always best to pick an activity (or range of activities) that appeal to you since people are much more likely to stick to an activity plan if they like it.
If we make an activity a social event, we can achieve two ways to well-being at once. When friends or family members are active together, they can motivate and reward each other. You can make new friends by joining a class or club. Choose physically active family outings, like hiking or cycling to a picnic, exploring a beach or going for a swim.
Housework, walking the dog and gardening are physical activities that burn calories and help keep people fit. It is a paradoxical world when many people will pay for others to clean their house and do their gardening because they are too busy sitting at a desk earning money to afford a cleaner and gardener.
Tips for getting active
Adapted from:
Better Health Channel
Make activity enjoyable
Pick an activity (or range of activities) that appeals to you, since you’re more likely to keep to an exercise plan if you like it.
Choose activities that suit your lifestyle
Consider your budget, physical abilities and amount of free time.
Check out local activity options
Opportunities to be active in your neighbourhood may include leisure centres, sports clubs, parks, walking trails, swimming pools or exercise classes.
Make activity a social event
Find a friend or family member to be active with so you can motivate and reward each other, or make some new friends through a class or club.
Have bad weather options
Head to your local swimming pool or gym to exercise indoors.
Keep some exercise equipment at home
Options include exercise DVDs, a stationary bike, skipping rope or fitness ball.
Have fun being active
Go dancing, fly a kite, throw a frisbee or swim in the sea – you’re not limited to sports and structured exercise programs.
Get active around the house
Housework, washing the dog and gardening are all physical activities that burn calories and help keep you fit.
Look for incidental ways to be active
For example, walk or cycle to the local shops, instead of driving the car. Use the stairs instead of the lift or escalator.
Involve the whole family in keeping fit
Arrange for outings that are physically active, such as walking the dog, rowing or hiking.
