Keeping Active
Being physically active every day is important for people of all
ages. Being active can help you achieve and maintain a healthy
weight and helps to prevent chronic disease. It also helps you to
relieve stress, sleep better and gives you the chance to interact
with your family and friends and meet new people.
The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Australian Adults
recommends:
- Think of movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience.
- Be active every day in as many ways as you can.
- Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical
activity on most, preferably all, days.
- And if possible, also enjoy some regular, vigorous activity for
extra health and fitness.
Finding ways to be active
everyday
Being more active every day doesn't have to be hard work, it's
just about finding new ways of doing things.
For example:
Do you drive to work every day and park as close as you can to
your office? Why not park around the block and add a 5 minute walk
to your every day routine.
Do you fight the traffic to drop the kids at school each day?
Perhaps you could walk to school instead or park around the block
and walk with the kids to the front gate.
Do you sit down to talk on the phone? Why not stand up and walk
around while chatting.
For more ideas on how to swap old ways of doing things for
active ways of doing them visit the Swap It, Don't Stop
It website.
30 minutes of physical activity every
day
For good health, Australian's should put together at least 30
minutes of moderate intensity physical activity every day. You may
choose to do this all at once or you can split it up into
10-15minutes blocks. Moderate intensity physical activity is being
active enough that your heart is beating a little bit faster, you
might start to feel a little puffed but should still be able to
hold a conversation. But if you can sing, you need to work a little
bit harder!
Keep in mind that the above recommendations are for general
health - if your goal is to lose weight you may need to do more
than 30 minutes.
Remember to always discuss your exercise plans with your doctor
or an Accredited
Exercise Physiologist especially if you have been
inactive for a long time, have any medical conditions or
injuries.