To make sure you get the best result from your physical activity plan it should include these four elements:
Endurance
Flexibility
Strength
Fun
Here are some easy every day examples:
Endurance: endurance activities help your heart, lungs and circulatory system stay healthy and give you more energy (4-7 days a week)
- walking
- golfing (without a ride-on cart!)
- yard and garden work
- propelling a wheelchair ("wheeling")
- cycling
- skating
- continuous swimming
- tennis
- dancing
Flexibility: activities that can help you to move easily, keeping your muscles relaxed and your joints mobile (4-7 days a week)
- gardening
- mopping the floor
- yard work
- vacuuming
- stretching exercises
- golf
- T'ai Chi
- Bowling
- Yoga
- Curling
- Dance
Strength: activities that help your muscles and bones stay strong, improve your posture and help to prevent diseases like osteoporosis (2-4 days a week)
- heavy yard work, such as cutting and piling wood; shoveling snow
- raking and carrying leaves
- lifting and carrying groceries
- climbing stairs
- exercises like abdominal crunches and push ups
- wearing a backpack carrying school books
- weight/strength training routines
Fun: activities that are fun are good for the body and for the soul! Choosing activities that you enjoy will help you stick to your plan.
- Dance! Put on your favorite tunes and go for it! Don’t worry…no one is watching, and even if they are, you’ll be having so much fun they will want to join in!
- Learn a new sport or join a masters program in a sport you used to enjoy
- Challenge a friend. Make up your own rules for a physical activity challenge that keeps you both moving
- Choose activity as a great way to spend time with friends and family.
- Explore the neighborhood – Hiking around your own community will get you back in touch with your neighbors
- Play! Spend some time with your own kids or the neighborhood children. Build snow forts, play road hockey, teach them some of your favorite backyard games.
Still can’t find time for physical activity? Here are some other ideas to fit physical activity in:
- get off bus 10 minutes before your intended stop and walk
- fit a 10 minute walk into your lunch break
- if you are a stay at home parent, try fitting in a TV fitness program; dance with your children for 10 minutes; go to the park and actively play with your children
- take the stairs instead of the elevator -
- do stretch breaks at your desk or while riding on the bus
- walk to do your errands (you can count that walking around the mall!)
- make physical activity a family event
- when going out with friends, think of activities where you can include physical activity
