Getting more physically active
Moderate, regular exercise is safe and effective for all of us –
it raises your body temperature, gets you breathing more heavily, helps you
look and feel better and above all it’s enjoyable!
Canada’s Physical Activity Guide
recommends building 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity into daily life for adults
and at least 90 minutes a day for children and youth. You don’t have to do it all at once.
Add it up in smaller periods of time over the day.
Here are a few simple guidelines
for becoming more physically active:
- If you are concerned about where to start, seek the advice of your doctor
- Begin with activities that you already know and are comfortable with, like gardening or walking
- Start slowly and build up your endurance over time
- Stay within your comfort zone - you should be able to talk comfortably while you’re active
- Listen to how your body feels - you should feel a little tired at the end but not exhausted
- Wear shoes and clothing that give you support but still let you move comfortably
- Drink plenty of water before, during and after activity
- Aim to be active two hours after eating a light meal (eg. going for a walk)
Take it slowly
If you’re new to regular physical activity, don’t overdo it. Aim to build up to half an hour of moderate activity at least five days a week and then when you’re ready, you could try to increase this to one hour of moderate activity, five days a week.
If you’re already used to moderate activity you might want to try some more vigorous activities:
- Swimming, tennis or even salsa dancing. They’ll help you improve your fitness, tone up and lose or maintain weight.
- With any vigorous activity you should be breathing heavily but be able to continue for at least 20 minutes - aim to do this three days a week.
- It’s a good idea to include different activities that will help to strengthen your muscles and give you more mobility, for example, yoga, Pilates or using weights.
Getting fitter
Why not start with general daily activities, such as parking the car further away or walking your children to school. Aim to increase this by two to three minutes and at a slightly faster pace. You can then increase the number of minutes you do each week. For example if you start with just five minutes of activity each day, aim to increase this to 10 to 15 minutes in the first week, 15 to 20 minutes the next and so on.
If you want to try more vigorous activities, make sure that you’re already moderately active for an hour, at least five days a week, then start with 10 to 15 minutes of vigorous activity, three times a week and increase this by just one to two minutes each week. It’s best to spread vigorous activity throughout the week and to always have at least one to two days of complete rest, so your body can recover. Activities you might like to try:
- Cycling – try cycling with friends and family, it will help to keep you going
- Running – go slowly and try running up a few hills!
- Badminton – it’s a great fat burner and a good social activity too
- Swimming – easy on the joints and perfect for giving your heart a great workout!
Did you know?
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada as many as two-thirds of Canadians are inactive, a serious threat to their health and a potential burden on the public health care system.