Get Active

Background

Many of us lead inactive lifestyles- using the car, spending our days sitting at a desk and evenings in front of the TV- all of which mean we are using less energy – and may be a contributing factor in the rise of obesity.

We know that being active is an important part of our lifestyles. But with so much information out there it's easy to become confused about how much activity we should we be doing and how often we should do it.

Exercise Benefits

Exercise can help the body maintain energy balance by increasing the amount of energy that you use. This can also help weight loss and improve body shape.

As well as weight management, exercise helps to build strong muscles and bones and has been linked with improvements in overall health. Exercise can help to control blood pressure and can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

Even a little bit of exercise can enhance your overall feeling of wellbeing as it can help to improve sleep and mood as well as helping to relieve stress, increasing stamina and making you feel more energised! This means we should all be trying to think about ways to include activity into our lifestyle.

How Much?

It is recommended that we should do at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise at least 5 times a week. Moderate activity means enough to raise the heart rate, making you breathe more heavily - but not so much that you can't talk at the same time as doing your activity.

The 30 minutes doesn’t have to be taken all at once and can be smaller periods of activity throughout the day e.g. 3 brisk 10 minute walks. Your routine should also include 2-3 more intense sessions which would be easy to include on the weekends, e.g. family bike ride.

To reduce weight many people may need to do at least 60 minutes of exercise at least 5 times a week and people who are obese may need to do up to 90 minutes a day to lose weight.

Children and young people should aim for at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each day. Three times a week this activity should include exercises that improve muscle and bone strength. Activities that help improve bone health are high impact or resistance exercises such as gymnastics, running, jumping and skipping whilst active play and swimming improve muscular health.

You don’t have to join the gym to exercise- more activity can be incorporated into your day with simple activities such as

• Taking the stairs instead of the lift or escalator
• Walking or cycling to work or the shops instead of using the car
• Getting off the bus or tube a stop early

Types of Exercise

All activity is important and small changes you can make to your lifestyle will benefit you heath - so whatever activity you choose, you'll soon reap the benefits!

Some types of physical activity are especially beneficial:

Aerobic/cardiovascular activities – speeds heart rate and breathing and improves heart and lung fitness. This type of exercise helps improve the hearts pumping efficiency, circulation and also promotes muscle health. If you are trying to lose weight then this type of exercise will help you to burn fat.

Examples include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling or racket sports such as squash, tennis or badminton

Resistance, strength building, and weight-bearing activities – helps strengthen, build and maintain bones, joints and muscles by working them against gravity or resistance machines. This type of exercise is also important if you want lose weight as building muscle increases your fat burning potential.

Examples include water aerobics, rock climbing, using a fit ball, carrying a child, lifting weights and walking.

Balance and stretching activities – enhances physical stability and improves coordination and flexibility which reduces risk of injuries.

Examples are gentle stretching, dancing, yoga, martial arts and t'ai chi.

Regular exercise of any type is beneficial for your health—so try to do a mixture of aerobic, strength and stretching exercises throughout the week as each type can enhance your body in different ways.

The table below shows how many calories are used doing different activities for 30 minutes by an average person weighing 60kg (132.3 lbs)

Getting Started

There are various reasons which can hold people back from exercising, such as feeling self conscious about their ability or body or generally not knowing what activity they want to get involved with. There are a number of factors which need to be considered when thinking about which activity is best of you!

Time – this is an issue for many people in becoming more active. You don’t have to join the gym to exercise- more activity can be incorporated into your day with simple activities such as:

• Taking the stairs instead of the lift or escalator
• Walking or cycling to work or the shops instead of using the car
• Getting off the bus or tube a stop early
• Speeding up your usual walking pace
• Parking your car in a space furthest away from the entrance
• Taking a lunch time or after dinner walk
• Raking up leaves instead of using a machine
• At work, walk and speak to a colleague rather than email or phone
• Doing the housework to your favourite music- dancing while doing your chores will help burn off calories!
• Plan social activities around activity such as ice skating, bowling or walking in the park
• Lifting weights for 30 minutes while you're watching TV in the evening- this will help build muscle without interrupting your viewing!

Getting motivated - one simple way to get motivated is to set yourself goals. Think about the activity you want to do and why. Are you becoming active to lose weight, to tone up or for general health? Start off gradually by incorporating a bit more exercise into your day e.g. taking a walk at lunchtime and slowly build up, to longer periods of activity such as walk around the park at the weekend- it won’t be long until your confidence and fitness improves!

Make it a hobby - having a hobby which incorporates physical activity is a great way to remain active. There are a great range of physical activities available including sports such as snowboarding, skiing, rock climbing, horse riding, mountain biking, surfing or suba diving.

Once you start doing a bit more exercise it is easy to make it a regular part of your daily life – so what are you waiting for!