Physical activity for a healthier, longer life
Hello everyone and welcome!
Thank you all for coming out to learn more about the health benefits of physical activity. I can promise you’ll find it time well spent. By the end of this presentation, you’ll have learned how important it is to make physical activity a part of your life. Better yet, you’ll know just how to go about doing it.
Most of us already know that physical activity is good for us. What many of us don’t realize is HOW good it is. I’m here today to fill in the blanks. Today you'll hear statistics about physical activity that may amaze you. I hope they’ll inspire you as well, and persuade you to take action.
If you’ve made good resolutions, then not acted on them, you’ve got lots of company. You’ve also got lots of reasons for optimism. There are tried and true ways to turn those resolutions into action. We’re going to learn about strategies to get active and stay active.
But before we talk about how to become physically active, let’s talk a little more about why we should.
Why we need to be active
Our risk of having heart disease or stroke increases if we’re ‘couch potatoes.’ Just sitting around is very bad for our heart health.
Let’s begin by defining heart disease and stroke. A healthy heart needs oxygen to efficiently use energy. The oxygen comes from the blood delivered by the left and right coronary arteries.
However, if these arteries are partially blocked by plaque (deposits of fatty material), the result is a common form of cardiovascular disease called atherosclerosis (or hardening of the arteries) where the delivery of oxygen to the heart may be insufficient.
As the plaque continues to build up, it decreases the blood flow to the heart. As the blockages get worse, they can cause • Fatigue • Shortness of breath and • Chest pain. If a blood vessel becomes completely blocked, part of the heart is starved and begins to die, causing an event known as a heart attack.
Similarly, if a blood vessel supplying part of the brain is blocked, the result is an event called a stroke.
Sounds bad, doesn’t it? Absolutely right. Heart disease and stroke is the leading cause of death of Canadians. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to improve our chances against these killers. One is to get active.
Risk factors
Physical inactivity is a known risk factor for heart disease and stroke. That is, a sedentary lifestyle increases our chances of developing heart disease and stroke. Of course, it’s not the only risk factor for heart disease and stroke. There are many, many others. Some risk factors are associated with lifestyle choices, while others have nothing to do with lifestyle.
Non-controllable risk factors include a family medical history of heart disease or stroke, age, gender, ethnic descent and diabetes. Age is a risk factor. The older you are, the higher your risk. Diabetes is also a major risk factor. It increases your chances of heart disease by two to four times. Your ethnic descent can also affect your risk, with African, South Asian and First Nations populations having a higher risk. Then there are the controllable risk factors smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor diet, obesity and stress. And, of course, physical inactivity. These are the things that we can do something about, either through lifestyle changes or with medication. And the more non-controllable risk factors we have, the more important is it to do everything in our power to cut risk by making whatever positive choices we can. One of the most important controllable risk factors for heart disease and stroke is physical activity.
Wow! Can just sitting around really be that dangerous?
Yes it can!
Physical inactivity is dangerous
Inactive people are at far higher risk than active people for heart disease and strokes. Far, far higher. In fact, physical inactivity is as dangerous to our health as smoking. Let me explain that a bit. Physical inactivity just about doubles our risk of heart disease. So does smoking. The bottom line is this lying around and lighting up are both very dangerous things to do.
This doesn’t mean you can bring your heart disease risk back to normal if you’re a smoker just by taking up a physical activity program. Nor does it mean that inactivity is safe if you don’t smoke. Smoking is very dangerous, all by itself. So is physical inactivity. So, getting active AND stopping smoking are really important to reducing your risk.
Exact figures are hard to come by, but we estimate that about 25 per cent of all deaths in Canada are linked to a sedentary lifestyle.
Physical activity reduces risk factors
Physical activity may be so very good for us because it helps reduce other risk factors. Studies show that the more people exercise, the less they smoke — which makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Who wants to light up after a brisk walk or a game of tag with the kids?
Moderate exercise has been linked to increases in HDL cholesterol, the “good cholesterol,” as well as to lower heart rate and reduced weight. Physical activity is not only a great way to head off heart disease and stroke. It’s also associated with reducing our risk of cancer and type II diabetes. In fact, people who exercised vigorously five or more times a week had a 42 per cent lower risk of type II diabetes than people who exercised less than once a week.
If physical activity is so good for us, there must be a concrete payoff. There is! Active people are healthier people. For instance, a study of retired men found those who walked more than two miles a day had a 66 per cent lower death rate than those who walked less than a mile a day over a 12 year period.
And men who were sedentary but then began to exercise had a 23 per cent lower risk of death than men who remained sedentary.
Physical activity benefits for women
For women, physical activity is especially important. First of all, it reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, the leading causes of death in women. It also heads off osteoporosis by maintaining healthy bones. Exercise also helps maintain muscle strength and coordination, which are very important in later life. Without a proper program of physical activity, strength loss of 40 to 50 per cent is not uncommon in women over 60. Finally, women are three times as likely as men to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. Physical activity helps keep joints healthy.
Physical activity guidelines I think we all agree by now that physical activity is a healthy thing. But what exactly do we mean by physical activity? Everyone has a slightly different notion of the “ideal” form of activity. For some people it’s a brisk walk, and for others a game of tennis. Or an afternoon in the garden, or a jog around the neighborhood.
In fact, there is no one “ideal” activity. Different activities suit different people. The real question is, how do we decide what’s right for us?
When it comes to physical activity, we need to answer four basic questions For convenience, we’ll use an acronym to describe these questions. This will help show the way the factors are interrelated.
Physical activity guidelines: the FITT model
The acronymn is FITT, and it stands for 1. Frequency — how often should we exercise? 2. Intensity — how hard? 3. Time — how long? 4. Type — what sort of exercise?
Actually, there’s no simple answer, because all these factors are inter-related.
As a general rule though, we all need a certain amount of physical activity every day, or at least most days of the week.
The length of time we need to spend doing our activity depends on the intensity of the activity we choose.
If we’re doing a low-intensity activity we need to spend at least an hour a day to derive a health benefit. Low-intensity activities would include things like light walking, volleyball, gardening or stretching.
If we’re engaged in moderate activity we need to spend at least 30 minutes a day at it. Moderate activities are things like brisk walking, biking, raking leaves, swimming, dancing or water aerobics. Finally, if we’re doing some vigorous activity we need to spend at least 20 minutes a day at it to reap the benefits. Vigorous activities include things like aerobics, jogging, hockey, basketball or fast swimming.
Now here’s something that not everyone knows our daily activity doesn’t have to be all at the same time! For instance, instead of 30 minutes of moderate activity, three 10-minute spurts of moderate activity is also a great option.
In fact, we don’t have to choose a really vigorous form of physical activity to benefit. Not at all! We can benefit
just as much by doing something less demanding, and doing it a bit longer. That’s the story on intensity. Let’s move on to the next “T” in FITT. What TYPE of exercise is best? The answer is — all types!
Combine recommended activities
Canada’s Physical Activity Guide recommends choosing a combination of aerobic, flexibility and strength-building activities. While all these types of activities are important, aerobic activity is especially vital for a healthy heart.
Aerobic activities are exercises that raise our heart rate, increase our pulse and breathing rates, and make us feel warmer.
Combine recommended activities, 2
Most exercises offer some combination of aerobics, stretching and strength-building. For instance, walking is considered a low-intensity aerobic activity. Yet walking requires us to bear the weight of our bodies. For that reason, it’s also a strength-building exercise. If we combine it with a couple of minutes of stretching to limber up, we’ve included all three exercise groups!
Or consider what happens when we rake leaves. We increase our heart and breathing rates. We also stretch our arms and legs, as we try to reach as many leaves as we can. And pulling the rake in with its load of leaves is a strength-building exercise. Again, we’ve included all three exercise groups in a simple activity!
The same principle applies to most forms of physical activity. For instance, quick swimming boosts our heart and breathing rates. It also builds strength and lets us stretch our muscles. Or, a simple game of volleyball not only gets our hearts pumping faster, it builds strength by forcing us to bear our own weight. Combined with a pre-game stretch, it gives us all three forms of exercise in one neat package.
I could multiply examples endlessly, but I think we get the idea. Most forms of physical activity offer some blend of the three forms of exercise we all need. It’s hard to find a type of physical activity that isn’t good for us!
Quiz time
At this point I’m going to ask you to take a more active role in this presentation. Don’t worry, we’re not going to take a quick aerobics break!
I’d like you to spend five minutes filling out the Heart and Stroke Foundation physical activity quiz and planning guide I’m about to pass out. There are no right or wrong answers to the quiz, and you don’t have to share your results if you don’t want to, so make your answers as accurate and honest as possible.
PASS OUT QUIZ/PERSONAL PLANNER, ASK AUDIENCE TO FILL OUT
what stage are you at?
Now that you’ve filled out your quizzes, let’s find out how we compare to other Canadians. One fact we know about ourselves — most of us WANT to be physically active. But not all of us are active — at least not right now. Different people are at different stages of preparation for a physically active lifestyle.
Some people have absolutely no interest in becoming physically active. I think it’s unlikely that many of us today (tonight) fall into that category. Let’s take a show of hands. How many of you intend to become more active?
TAKES SHOW OF HANDS.
Now, how many of you are active but need a strategy to stay that way? TAKES SHOW OF HANDS.
Finally, how many of you were active, but have “relapsed” into inactivity for the moment? TAKES SHOW OF HANDS.
You see? Just about everyone here falls into one of these three categories. And that’s not surprising because research shows the majority of Canadians fall into these categories as well.
Planning for success
Let’s say we’ve made a commitment to take up some physical activity. Where and how do we start?
Here’s the first tip start slowly! We all need to ease our way into physical activity, rather than rushing the process and taking on too much too soon. If you’re over 45, or if you have risk factors such as diabetes, asthma, heart problems, osteoporosis or any medical condition that might limit your ability to be physically active, it’s very important to check with your doctor before you start a fitness program.
The next step is to choose an activity. A few minutes ago, you made a short list of activities you really like, things you look forward to. I can’t stress too much how important it is to pick an activity you truly enjoy, something that will inspire you to keep going. So take a few moments to pick your favourite activity from your list.
Got it? Good.
Now, ask yourself what prevents you from taking up the activity you’re written down? How difficult will it be to stick with it? Think about it. For example, if you’ve listed golf as an activity, but there isn’t a course within 50 miles of your house, that’s a pretty serious obstacle. If the activity you’ve chosen just isn’t practical, go back to your list and pick your second-favorite. Then, repeat the reality check.
Alright, let’s say you’ve picked out an activity you really like, and you’ve decided there are no serious difficulties with it.
Planning for success 2
Now, look at the second list you made, the one listing what you want from a physical activity. What did you want from the activity? Better health? Companionship? Relaxation? A new skill?
Finally, look at the two lists you’ve made. Will your chosen activity give you what you want? If the answer is “yes,” then congratulations! You’re onto a good thing. If the answer is “no,” then perhaps you’d better rethink your choice of activities, so that your “what I like” list matches your “what I want” list.
If at first you don’t see a match between the kinds of activities you enjoy and the things you want from them, don’t be too hasty to give up one or the other. First, try to be creative.
For example, if you like gardening, but want to learn something new as well, maybe you should consider taking a gardening course once or twice a year to learn new skills and new ways of doing things.
Or, if you like walking, but want companionship, think about starting your own “walking club.” Persuade a family member or friend to join you for a regular stroll around the neighborhood, the park, or — in winter — even the local mall.
Speaking of friends and family, it’s an excellent idea to have them on our side when we start our physical activity programs. The support of family and friends can add to the chances of our success.
It’s also important to build seasonality into our planning. Whatever activities we choose, we need to be able to do them all year around, not just in fair weather. Or, if our chosen activity is something seasonal, like gardening, we have to make sure we have a winter activity for the months when gardening isn’t possible.
Three top barriers to physical activity
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But as we all know, sometimes it isn’t simple at all to become physically active. Let’s spend some time now on the third quiz item. This one asked about our barriers to physical activity, in other words, the things that stop us from taking up an active lifestyle.
These barriers aren’t just excuses, they’re very real. Here’s a list of the top three “barriers to physical activity.” I’d like you to put up your hand if you listed one of these three things as a barrier for you 1. Lack of time 2. Lack of energy 3. Lack of motivation
TAKES SHOW OF HANDS. MAJORITY OF AUDIENCE WILL PROBABLY HAVE PUT HAND UP.
Thank you. Well, if you had your hand up just now, you’re in good company. The three most common barriers to physical activity are the ones I just mentioned. More than 50 per cent of Canadians have a hard time finding the time, energy or the motivation to become active.
Of course there are other barriers — all sorts of them. They include 1. Cost 2. Injury or illness 3. Lack of facilities 4. Feeling uncomfortable 5. Lack of skill 6. Fear of injury
Combating motivation and energy barriers
So then, is motivation a problem? Maybe so. There are degrees of motivation of course. If you’ve taken the time and trouble to come to this presentation, you’ve already shown you are motivated to some degree. Hopefully now that you’ve learned a little more about the risks of a sedentary lifestyle tonight, and the health benefits of physical activity, you’ll be motivated to take that next vital step and become active.
Let’s assume that’s the case. You’ve made up your mind once and for all that you’re going to make physical activity a part of your life. You’re motivated alright — but can you find the energy to follow through?
Because we’re so busy, we’re also tired at the end of the day — too tired for physical activity. Or so it seems. But keep in mind that physical activity can actually GIVE us energy, for work, home activities or for play.
We have motivation. We know we’ll have energy too, once we become active. But what about time?
The fact is, we are very busy these days, what with job, family, domestic activities and all the rest. There just doesn’t seem time to squeeze in another thing. Trying to find an extra half hour or more each day is just out of the question!
Or is it? In a few minutes we’ll see that it’s not as impossible as it may seem to find a few minutes each day for physical activity. One trick is to make sure you include physical activity when planning your week. Make it a part of your normal schedule, just like grocery shopping, bridge night and the kids’ swimming lessons. Write it down in your weekly diary, if you have one. Advance planning makes it easier to allocate time for physical activity.
We can break the time and energy barriers! Let’s now take a detailed look at how to become — or to stay — physically active
Combating time barrier build fitness into schedule When we think of physical activity, a lot of us tend to think of the traditional types of exercise — golfing or biking or going to a fitness center for example. Then we get discouraged because the fact is, we REALLY DO NOT have time for this kind of structured physical activity. It’s not a lame excuse, it’s the truth!
Don’t despair! Traditional types of physical activity are excellent — but they’re not the only ways we can get active, not by a long shot. There are many ways we can “fit in fitness” to our busy day. To be active, we don’t have to make a huge time commitment, go to a special sports facility or even change into gym clothes. We can actually slot physical activity into our normal schedules, simply by planning a series of small changes in our lifestyle.
For example, most of us can take the time to get off the bus or subway a stop earlier and walk home. We can usually spare a few minutes to walk the kids to school. We can walk more often to the corner store instead of driving. We can often take 20 minutes at lunch to walk. We can find time to rake the leaves, walk the dog, mow the lawn, or wash the car by hand. After all, the leaves have to be raked, the dog walked and so forth anyway! And we can certainly afford the time to take the stairs instead of the elevator at work or at the mall.
The point is, we don’t have to take out a membership at an athletic club to bring physical activity into our lives. All we have to do is approach normal, daily tasks in a slightly different way.
Combating time barriers physical activity in 10-minute units
And remember, we don’t have to pack all our physical activity into one continuous period! A brisk 10-minute walk to the bus in the morning, another from the bus back home in the evening and a further 15 minutes raking the lawn add up to over 30 minutes of physical activity. And that’s enough to confer significant health benefits
Time problems can be beaten. Physically active people beat them every day — and not because they have lots of spare time on their hands. In fact, studies show active people actually have less free time in their schedule than most people! Often, they free up time by watching less TV. Less TV is a small price to pay for good health, wouldn’t you agree? And here’s a nice thought as we become more fit, we’re preparing ourselves for an even more ambitious program of physical activity when the time is right. We’re also giving ourselves energy to enjoy all the things we want to do in our lives.
Avoiding common traps
As we’ve just seen, there are many ways to fit physical activity into our busy schedules. It can be done! But adopting a physically active lifestyle is not as simple as falling off a log! Far from it. For most of us, being physically active takes commitment, planning and perseverance. It also takes the experience and common sense to avoid certain common traps.
One of these traps is the “everything at once” approach. Sometimes, we become so enthusiastic about becoming physically active that we take on a program which is far too ambitious, at least to start with. And because we’ve taken on too much, we can’t meet the high standards we’ve set. So we get discouraged and give up altogether — which of course is the worst thing we can do.
Through a modest increase in daily activity, most people can improve their health and quality of life. Not a massive overnight increase, a modest increase! Just a little more physical activity goes a long way.
Of course, additional benefits can be gained through greater amounts of activity.
In other words, some physical activity is very good, and more is even better. But for most of us, the best strategy is to start slowly and work up by slow degrees. Any plan to become physically active has to be realistic. Otherwise the plan has an excellent chance of failing.
If we want to avoid the trap of being unrealistic, we must schedule physical activity at times when we can actually do it! And we must set very modest goals for ourselves, at least at first.
When planning a physical activity program, we need to be realistic about when we’re going to be active and for how long. If we hate getting out of bed early, it’s not good to design a program that calls for a half-hour jog at dawn every morning. It just won’t happen for most people. Far better to plan for a short walk after work — and do it. After all, the point is to ease into an active lifestyle and to enjoy ourselves. We’re not out to win any medals or qualify for the Olympics. If we do that later, so much the better, but we shouldn’t start out with that in mind!
Let’s say you’ve decided to walk a mile four times a week. Great! Just enjoy the walk. Don’t worry about how fast you can do it, or whether you should increase the distance after your first week. Get used to walking on a regular basis, and make it part of your daily routine. Then, if you still want to increase the distance or frequency, go ahead. Gradually add more physical activity into your schedule when you think you’re ready.
Many of us find it helpful to have some short term or medium-term goals to achieve. This is a great idea, as long as the goals are realistic and easy to reach. By meeting our goals, we keep ourselves motivated.
Here’s an interesting challenge for families. Start walking in early summer, and gradually increase the distance, so that you’re ready to participate in the HSFO’s Mother and Daughter Walk in September.
There’s one last trap we should discuss before we move on. It’s the winter weather trap, and it’s very easy to fall into, given the Canadian climate. Many of us do very well at building physical activity into our schedules in the warm summer months. But then along comes the cold and the snow — and we go into hibernation for another few months.
That’s why it’s vital to have a plan for all seasons. We simply have to take cold weather into account when we’re first setting up our physical activity programs. Can we keep up with our activity in the winter? Can we find a place to do it indoors? Or can we find a substitute activity for the winter months? We want year-round health benefits, and that means year-round physical activity!
Just as we need a back-up plan for winter, we also need a back-up plan to deal with the day-to-day disruptions to our physical activity program. If a crisis at work gets in the way of our lunch-hour walk, we need to have an alternate plan in place. Maybe plan B is a walk on the way home from work or later that evening.
Finally, we should reward ourselves for starting our programs of physical activity and sticking to it. Whether the reward is some new clothes, a CD or just a pat on the back to ourselves, we need to recognize our own achievements!
Canadians need more physical activity
As we’ve seen, Canadians as a group need to be more physically active. And women lag behind men when it comes to exercise. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, 59.1 per cent of Canadian women are inactive, versus 54.1 per cent of men. In other words, Canadian adults lead a dangerously sedentary lifestyle. That’s a worrying statistic.
Here’s another In the last 20 years, obesity has doubled in Canadian children. Also, 50% of obese children and 70% of obese adolescents are likely to become obese adults. In addition, the lifestyles learned early in life carry forward int
o adulthood. Why are our children having weight problems? Consider this three out of five Canadian children between 5 and 17 are not as active as they should be for optimal health. And once again, females are less active than males. Almost half the boys between 5 and 12 were active, compared to just over one third of girls. And 40 per cent of boys ages 13 to 17 were physically active, versus only 25 per cent of girls the same age. When it comes to physical activity, the gender gap starts young.
Parents with young families often have an especially hard time starting or staying with a physical activity program. That’s because family life makes such huge demands on their time and resources.
And on top of the time that children take, there’s also the issue of what mom and dad do with the kids while taking part in physical activity. This is a real challenge. In fact, people with children in the 25-44 age group list lack of child care as a significant obstacle to physical activity.
Some barriers to physical activity for young parents
Some young parents tend to think of physical activity as a low priority, something that they’d like to do but can’t because of other commitments. There’s the children of course, and the spouse. And maybe aging parents as well. And then there’s the job. And all the little and not-so-little chores that keep the household running smoothly. With that kind of schedule, where’s the time for physical activity? If we take time out for fitness, it seems to many of us that we’re short-changing our families.
Invest now in physical activity
And yet, while taking time for physical activity may seem almost selfish, it’s not! We have to ask ourselves this what’s better, making time for physical activity now, or not being there for our families in the future because of poor health? Isn’t it better to invest a little time now in physical activity than to lose years of good health later in life because we didn’t take care of ourselves? Sure it is!
We know the health benefits of physical activity — and the toll than inactivity can take. We know that physical activity isn’t a luxury, it’s an essential component of good health. We owe it to ourselves and to our families to act on that knowledge!
Also, physical activity helps relieve the stress of our sometimes overstressful lives. Something as simple as a few minutes of raking leaves or a brisk walk can help take some of the edge out of the day.
There are all sorts of activities that are good for our health — and our children’s health too — as well as being plain good fun.
For one thing, we can spend more time in active play with our children. Soccer, frisbee, even a game of tag are all good ways to exercise close to home. They’re also a great way to “bond” with children. And let’s not forget simple activities like bicycling and walking with our children. Or, how about walking the kids to and from school? That twice-daily stroll may not seem like much, but it’s a great source of physical activity. For those with a little more time, there are family hikes, or in the winter, cross-country skiing, skating and tobogganing.
The fact is, there are many ways to ensure we — and the rest of the family — get the physical activity needed for good health.
Suggestions for parents with young children
While we don’t have to go to the gym to be active, there’s no need to rule out some kind of fitness class either, if that’s an easy, agreeable way of staying fit.
Some recreation centers do offer daycare, so moms and dads can exercise without distraction. Another strategy is to bring the whole family to the recreation center and have one parent entertain the kids while the other exercises. This not only gives both parents a chance to be active, it sets a great example for the kids as well.
And if we have our own “support group” — grandparents, relatives or friends — we shouldn’t hesitate to get them involved as well. We can ask them to help out by watching the kids while we work out. Maybe we can even set up a child care arrangement with our friends, so that everyone has a little time for physical activity.
Also, consider this if you take physical activity seriously, research shows that your children may as well. When you make time to be active, it sets an important example to other family members!
How Susan became active
So far, you’ve heard a lot of statistics about physical activity, and a lot of advice. I’d like to round out this presentation by telling you two success stories. Yes, we’re all busy, and tired and so on, but many of us choose to become physically active all the time — and we succeed.
Here’s a true-to-life story about how a woman called Susan brought physical activity into her life.
Susan was 54 years old and she hadn’t been physically active for years despite warnings from her doctor. Like many of us, work kept her very busy. At the end of the day she didn’t have time or energy left over for exercise. Or so she told herself. She might have gone on living a sedentary life for many more years if something hadn’t happened to jolt her out of the rut.
One day, Susan received a wake-up call. A close friend died of a heart attack. Susan was shocked, saddened — and more than a little frightened. It didn’t take much imagination to see that she could be next if she didn’t change her ways.
She knew she was out of shape, so she decided to start very slowly. Also, she really was busy, and she couldn’t find much time in her day. So she sat down, and planned very carefully what she was going to do with her small amount of free time.
Eventually she decided to walk partway to work each morning, weather permitting. If it was raining, she’d walk in the nearby mall at lunch hour instead. Then, she got off the bus two stops earlier than usual and walked the rest of the way home. And on weekends, if it was nice, she’d go for a walk in the park nearby with her husband. It wasn’t a crash fitness program, it didn’t take up much time — but she soon felt better physically and mentally for making the effort.
She began her new program in May, just as the season was turning, so she’d have fewer excuses. The weather was pleasant, the days were getting longer, and she enjoyed seeing the flowers beginning to bloom and the leaves coming out on the trees.
Her work schedule didn’t always let her keep to her program. We all know what work can be like! Some days, she was just too busy to walk. She had to get to the office early or work late. But on average, she did pretty well.
In July, she had a setback. She caught a bad cold, and just didn’t feel like doing anything at all. Needless to say, she got out of the habit of walking.
But by now, her husband was committed to her exercise program as well. He encouraged her to get back into it — and she did. She’d heard that family support was important to make a physical activity program work, and now she realized how true that was.
The fact was, she enjoyed being with her husband more. Also, she felt good that her program was making him healthier too.
When winter came, Susan and her husband found they enjoyed walking so much, they joined a mall walking club
Today, Susan walks at least 30 minutes, almost every day. So does her husband. They feel better, and they spend more time together than they used to. And needless to say, their health is benefiting from the increased level of physical activity!
How Mike and Donna got in shape
That’s how one couple launched their physical activity program. But we don’t have to wait until middle age to get active. Here’s another true-to-life tale. This one is about how a young family managed to make time for fitness.
Mike and Donna were in their early thirties, and had two children. Like most couples with young families, they were run off their feet by their various responsibilities.
Donna had a part-time job as well as two sons, aged six and eight, to take care of. Her husband Mike worked full time — and as we all know, working full time these days can mean working long hours and weekends from time to time.
They weren’t short of money, but they didn’t have a lot extra either. They had so many things on the go that they hadn’t really thought a lot about physical activity. Besides, they were young and in good health — they told themselves they had lots of time to worry about that kind of thing when they were older.
But something forced them to give it some thought. Donna’s mother had heart disease. Then, she was diagnosed with osteoporosis. Both diseases are influenced by heredity, and both can be very serious.
Donna knew she had better do what she could to stay healthy, for the sake of her children and her husband. That meant physical activity.
Both sons loved to ride their bikes. So Mike and Donna decided to join them. They bought good second-hand bikes and, every evening after supper they’d go for a family bike ride. They soon found there were several good bike paths in the neighborhood.
Rather than driving to her part-time job, Donna bicycled. She managed to shed a couple of pounds, and to tone up her muscles. After a few months, several of her friends thought Donna was on to a good thing, so they bought bicycles too, and several times a week they’d go on bike rides together while the kids were in school
That summer the family took a week’s vacation in a provincial park known for its bike trails. They biked, and hiked the trails and swam every day.
When winter came, they had to put away their bikes, but by then they were used to activity. In fact, they missed the exercise and the time they spent together as a family. so they decided to walk whenever possible instead of biking. They also signed up for an all-family badminton program at their local community centre. The cost was very low, and it seemed a great way to introduce the kids to racket sports.
Now, Donna and Mike average at least 30 minutes of physical activity, five times a week and often more. Their sons are far more active as well — and they’ve become enthusiastic badminton players.
Some final thoughts
We can see from these examples that physical activity doesn’t have to been expensive or hard to do. On the contrary, we can be as active as we like for absolutely nothing. And, we can have a lot of fun doing it too. The only investment we have to make is time. But there’s no better health investment we can make.
Physical activity is something that easily can — and should — become part of daily living. More and more people are taking that wake-up call and getting active. So can we!
Some of you may still be asking, ‘okay, so where do I start?”
You already have!
Congratulations, you’ve already started
Just coming here is a first step on the road to physical activity. You made time in your busy schedule to learn more about physical activity. You made the effort to come here and find out some important facts. Good for you!
Now take the next step. You’ve already begun to do that as well, with the “quiz” and “personal planner” you filled out earlier.
The next step is to start some physical activity! You know how to plan for success. Pick an activity you like, and decide what you want from it. Check with your doctor. Then, start small and work up at your own pace. Set yourself modest goals. Don’t push it, just enjoy yourself. Get your friends and family on side.
If you stop being active, get back on track again quickly. Don’t blame yourself and don’t feel badly. Just start again as soon as you can.
You know you should do it, and now you know that you can. The next step is up to you. Before you know it, you’ll have made physical activity a part of your life too! It’s a step you’ll never regret! DISCLAIMER THIS IS NOT INTENDED IN ANY WAY AS MEDICAL ADVICE. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A HEALTH PROBLEM, PLEASE CONSULT A PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY.