It’s not unknown that physical activity is good for your health!!
According to Australian data, more than half of Australian adults (18-65 years) are not active enough.
But what does “being active” actually mean? What is physical activity? What type of exercise is best? How much activity should I be doing each day? How can I fit it in my busy day?
What is physical activity?
Physical Activity is any activity that gets your body moving! Also described as any form of activity that gets your heart pumping and makes your breathe faster.
You can be physically active in many different ways, at any time of the day.
This can include:
Walking, jogging running
Swimming
Exercise, lifting weights, going to the gym
Painting, doing household chores
Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving!
There are also many different types of exercise. But to keep it simple we shall talk about physical activity as a whole and there are 2 types of physical activity.
Moderate Intensity Physical activity
This is activity that takes some effort, but you are still able to talk while doing them. For example:
Brisk walk
Slow paced swimming
Dancing
Social sporting games like tennis (for recreational purposes)
Even household tasks (like sweeping, vacuuming, mowing the lawn)
Pushing a stroller
2. Vigorous Intensity Physical Activity…
This activity requires much more effort and is described as activity that makes you ‘huff and puff’ (i.e. breathing harder and faster). For example:
Jogging and running
Aerobics
Fast cycling
Many organized sports
And even tasks that involve carrying and digging
Physical inactivity or sedentary behavior is the opposite of physical activity. This includes any activity that occurs sitting or lying down, like watching tv, sitting at your desk at work for long periods of time or sitting for travelling for long periods of time. Evidence shows that physical inactivity can have detrimental effects on your health, basically the exact opposite of the benefits of physical activity!
Unfortunately, todays society makes it easy for people to life sedentary lifestyles.
Why is physical activity important?
There is so much evidence out there that says being physically active and trying to reduce the time that you spend in being sedentary is essential for your health and well-being. Not only is physical activity important for your physical health but it is also important for you social and mental health. Doing any physical activity is better than doing none at all!!
Not being active, physical inactivity or being sedentary, can negatively impact your health and can contribute to overweight and obesity and even some form of cancers, just like tobacco smoking.
So moving more and sitting less is important for maintaining a healthy life and improve your mental health, and the more active you are the more you will benefit
Here are some of the benefits
Reduce your risk of heart disease and help manage cardiovascular disease – physical activity improves circulation, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and therefore reducing the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes – physical activity improve the way your body uses glucose/sugar and lowers your blood sugar levels and resuces the risk of type 2 diabetes. Exercise has also been found to improve blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Reduce your risk of cancer – regular physical activity may help prevent against colon cancer, breast cancer and other types of cancers
Help prevent unhealthy weight gain and assist in weight loss – physical activity limits body fat and increases lean muscle
Build strong muscle and bones – weight baring activity helps build strong bones and prevents against osteoparosis
Improve your mental health – regular physical activity has been found to reduce depression and anxiety
Restful sleep – Rest and sleep occur naturally after periods of physical activity and helps your body repair itself from damage and injury.
Create opportunities to socialize and meet new people
Maintain overall physical and mental well being
How much physical activity should I aim to do?
Like I mentioned before doing any sort of physical activity is better than doing none at all and it’s not too late to start moving.
But what do the guidelines say?
The guidelines suggest that in order to improve blood pressure, cholesterol, heart health and build strong bones and muscle you shouls aim to reach the following each week:
150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate intensity physical activity OR
75 minutes (1 and 1/4 hours) of vigorous intensity physical activity
They also suggest that to achieve even greater benefits and help prevent cancer and unhealthy weight gain, you should aim to increase physical activity each week:
300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate intensity PA or
150 minutes (2.5 hours) of vigorous intensity PA
This all sounds quite complex and sounds like a lot of exercise but lets break it down a little bit. This is how much exercise you should aim to to each week. Meaning all you have to do is be physically active and move for at least 30 minutes on most, preferably all, days every week to achieve these benefits.
Be physically active and move for at least 30 minutes on most, preferably all, days every week!
To keeps things interesting you can always mix it up a little and combine different activities. You might do some moderate physical activity here (like a brisk walk) and then some vigorous activity (i.e. going to the gym and doing some weights or even sport) on other days of the week!
And it doesn’t have to be strenuous and you doin’t have to strain yourself lifting the heavisty weight possible at the gym if it is something you don’t enjoy, its only going to make physical activity more of a chore to you and less sustainable everyday! This is all it has to be:
Enjoy a bike ride with friends
Play a team sport or play a game of tennis, soccer, volley ball with friends at the park or beach
Walk around the park with friends
Enjoy a dance class or something you have never done before
Enjoy a light jog or brisk walk each morning before breakfast (or any other time throughout the day)
Join the classes at the gym
Do short at home workouts
Book a personal trainer at the gym with a small group of friends (this worked for me at it saved the $$$)
And it doesn’t have to be all 30 minutes at once!! You can accumulate this throughout the day! It might just be 15 minutes here or 10 minutes there. If you struggle with physical activity you can always start slowly and make moving a daily habit and then slowly increate how much you are able to do!
The most important thing is to just move more and sit less! Do activity that you love and try to do it on most days if not all days of the week!
My tips on how to "move more & sit less"
1. Reduce the amount of time you spend sitting down
If you struggle to find time to fit in physical activity or you work long hours try to spend time sitting less wherever you can. This could include:
Having ‘walk and talk’ meetings. Put on your waking shoes and having your meeting outside or do a lap of the office.
Lap the office every 20-30 minutes to break up the time you spend sitting. Setting an alarm on your phone can be a great way to remind you!
Get out of the lift a few floors early and take the stairs
Deliver a message to your work colleague in person. Walk and give them the message personally instead of writing that email
Get a stand-up desk and break up how much sitting you do throughout the day
Watch one episode one Netflix and then do some household chores! (This one is mostly for me, I am guilty of the Netflix binge!!)
Walk your furry friends every day. Even if it is just around the block!
2. Do exercise you love doing
Find activity that you love doing and not something that you hate. If you emjoy something you are more likely to want to do it! If you hate something the more likely you are to procrastinate.
Personally, I absolutely hated going to the gym. I knew I had to so I did but I despised every minute and found that eventually I would procrastinate and found every excuse possible to not go. So I stopped going. Instead I tried something new and I found out that I actually loved the classes the gym offered! They were fun, the personal trainer was fantastic and the people that did the classes became somewhat of a family to me! I even found myself looking forward going to the classes each week!
3. Try something new and creative
Physical activity doesn’t have to be the typical run or gym workout! Get creative, get outside! There are so many different activities out there that you can enjoy either by yourself or with friends. For example:
Do that dance class you have always wanted
Try Zumba (even though you may feel ridiculous, I guarantee everyone feels the same)
Try a spin class
Go stand up paddle boarding
Try a aerial circus class and fly through the air
Try aerial yoga
Go for a bush walk or hike
Try cannoying
Do a tree-top adventure
Even give water aerobics a go
All of these are physical activity and they are fun. They might not be considered normal or something you do every day but they are different and exciting. I recommend these because even you if do them by yourself you are with a group and you can meet new people and make new friends! Doing them as a group with your friends can be FUN and bring you all closer together.
This is also another personal example. I grew up not really being an active kid. I was by no means unhealthy or overweight but I didn’t really get out much and I was extremely shy. So when I was 15 I did an aerial circus class for fun and I never looked back. Before I knew it it became another passion of mine. I loved hanging upside down, I made great friends and I even moved outside my shell and performed! Although it wasn’t what people through was the “normal” physical activity it was still activity all the same! You never know trying something new might just become a new hobby of yours and you’ll gain a little supportive family along the way just like I did.t
4. Exercise with friends
Get a group of friends together and workout together! Not only will it be fun but it can also keep you motivated. As they say “those that workout together, stay together”
5. Make simple swaps
There are so many opportunities to move in our daily lives, all you have to do is move. Here are some example:
Walking meetings
Stand up desks
Take the stairs or take the elevator part of the way and take the stairs the rest of the way
Take the elevator up and walk down the stairs (or vise versa)
Get off the bus a stop early and enjoy a short work
Park at the back of the car park and get in a few extra steps OR park an extra 5 or 10 minutes away
Leave your desk at lunch and enjoy a short walk outside
Take home messages
Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day
Be active on most, preferably all days of the week
See everyday activities as a way to be active
Try to find the time for some regular, vigorous exercise for extra health and fitness benefits
Minimize the amount of time you spend in prolonged sitting and break up long periods of sitting as often as possible
If you don’t know what physical activity suits you consult your doctor or see a qualified health professional (physiotherapist or exercise physiologist) to help you!!
Happy moving!
Comments