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More on Staying Active
July 11, 2011Advice
Be Active, Your Way, Every Day for Life! - Age is no barrier
Being active is very safe for most people. Start slowly and build up - listen to your body. Accumulate 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days. Minutes count - add it up 10 minutes at a time. Not sure? Consult with a health-care professional.
Choose a variety of activities from each of these three groups:
Endurance
- Continuous activities that make you feel warm and breathe deeply
- Increase your energy
- Improve your heart, lungs, and circulatory system
Flexibility
- Gentle reaching, bending, and stretching
- Keep your muscles relaxed and joints mobile
- Move more easily and be more agile
Strength & Balance
- Lift weights, do resistance activities
- Improve balance and posture
- Keep muscles and bones strong
- Prevent bone loss
Getting started is easier than you think
- Build physical activity into your daily routine.
- Do the activities you are doing now, more often.
- Walk wherever and whenever you can.
- Start slowly with easy stretching.
- Move around frequently.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Carry home the groceries.
- Find activities that you enjoy.
- Try out a class in your community.
Eating well is also important. Follow Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating to make wise food choices.
Benefits increase as physical activity increases
Benefits when starting out:
- Meet new people
- Feel more relaxed
- Sleep better
- Have more fun
Benefits from regular physical activity:
- Continued independent living
- Better physical and mental health
- Improved quality of life
- More energy
- Move with fewer aches and pains
- Better posture and balance
- Improved self-esteem
- Weight maintenance
- Stronger muscles and bones
- Relaxation and reduced stress
Scientists have proved that being active reduces the risk of:
- Heart disease
- Falls and injuries
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Adult-onset diabetes
- Osteoporosis
- Stroke
- Depression
- Colon cancer
- Premature death
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