Making Physical Activity Part of Your Life

Just knowing that physical activity is good for us doesn't mean that we'll be able to make it part of our daily routines—it's sometimes difficult to adopt new habits. But it's important to remember that you can start out slowly and work your way up to a higher level of activity. This article provides ideas for how to make physical activity part of your life, how to make it a "family habit", and how to do it safely.

How to be More Active

Adults and children need recess! With a little creativity and planning, even the person with the busiest schedule can make room for physical activity. For many folks, before or after work or meals is often an available time to cycle, walk, or play. Think about your weekly or daily schedule and look for or make opportunities to be more active. Every little bit helps. Many people are amazed at how much time they "find" just by not automatically turning on the television when they come home from work or school. Consider the following suggestions:

• Walk, cycle, jog, skate, etc., to work, school, the store, or place of worship.
• Park the car farther away from your destination.
• Get on or off the bus several blocks away.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
• Play with children or pets. Everybody wins. If you find it too difficult to be active after work, try it before work.
• Take fitness breaks-walking or doing desk exercises-instead of taking cigarette or coffee breaks.
• Look for and perform gardening or home repair activities.
• Avoid labor-saving devices-turn off the self-propel option on your lawn mower or vacuum cleaner.
• Use leg power-take small trips on foot to get your body moving.
• Exercise while watching TV (for example, use hand weights, stationary bicycle/treadmill/stairclimber, or stretch).
• Dance to music.
• Keep a pair of comfortable walking or running shoes in your car and office. You'll be ready for activity wherever you go!
• Make a Saturday morning walk a family or group habit.
• Walk while doing errands.
  

If you have been inactive for a while, use a sensible approach by starting out slowly.

• Begin by choosing moderate-intensity activities you enjoy the most. By choosing activities you enjoy, you'll be more likely to stick with them.
• Gradually build up the time spent doing the activity by adding a few minutes every few days or so until you can comfortably perform a minimum recommended amount of activity (30 minutes per day).
• As the minimum amount becomes easier, gradually increase either the length of time performing an activity or increase the intensity of the activity, or both.
• Vary your activities, both for interest and to broaden the range of benefits.
• Explore new physical activities.
• Reward and acknowledge your efforts.
  

Are there risks to being active?

Although there can be some risks associated with physical activity, most can be avoided or minimized by taking reasonable precautions.

Cardiovascular Risks

Occasionally, we learn about an athlete who died suddenly while jogging or exercising strenuously. These athletes typically had underlying cardiovascular disease that, when coupled with extremely strenuous activity, resulted in their death. Such events can plant doubts and fears in the minds of people who are thinking about leading a more active lifestyle. "Me? Exercise and end up having a heart attack? No way!" However, sudden deaths due to underlying cardiovascular disease are extremely rare, particularly among individuals participating in moderate-intensity physical activity (Pratt, 1995).

People with known cardiovascular disease or who have already experienced a major cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack, stroke, or heart surgery, should have a physical evaluation by their physician before engaging in even a moderate physical activity program. But other than in those cases, most adults do not need to consult their physicians before engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity. If, however, they are planning to engage in vigorous-intensity physical activity, experts recommend that men over age 40 and women over age 50 should also consult a physician first.

Other Risks

The most common risk associated with physical activity is injury to the musculoskeletal system-the bones, joints, tendons, and muscles. These injuries are usually not serious, often require no treatment other than a few days of rest, and can be minimized by taking sensible precautions. Most of these types of injuries related to physical activity may be prevented by gradually working up to the desired level of activity and by avoiding excessive amounts of activity at one time.

Therefore, to avoid soreness and injury, people who have not been regularly active and are thinking about increasing their levels of physical activity should start out slowly, incorporating even a few minutes of increased activity into their day, gradually building up to the desired amount of activity, and giving their bodies time to adjust.

Tips for Avoiding Exercise Induced Injuries

Keeping the following tips in mind can help prevent common injuries associated with participating in physical activity.

• Listen to your body—monitor your level of fatigue, heart rate, and physical discomfort.
• Be aware of the signs of overexertion. Breathlessness and muscle soreness could be danger signs.
• Be aware of the warning signs and signals of a heart attack, such as sweating, chest and arm pain, dizziness, and lightheadedness.
• Use appropriate equipment and clothing for the activity.
• Take 3–5 minutes at the beginning of any physical activity to properly warm up your muscles through increasingly more intense activity. As you near the end of the activity, cool down by decreasing the level of intensity. (For example, before jogging, walk for 3–5 minutes increasing your pace to a brisk walk. After jogging, walk briskly, decreasing your pace to a slow walk over 3–5 minutes. Finish by stretching the muscles you used-in this case primarily the muscles of the legs.)
• Start at an easy pace—increase time or distance gradually.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day to replace lost fluids (i.e., at least eight to ten 8-oz. cups per day). Drink a glass of water before you get moving, and drink another half cup every 15 minutes that you remain active.
  

Tips for Healthy Kids

In addition to setting a good example with the foods and portion sizes you choose, and making exercise a family activity with bike rides and walks, here are some tips for your children to help them develop healthy habits.

Start the day with breakfast.
Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night's pizza!

Get Moving!
It's easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.

Snack smart.
Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups - a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.

Work up a sweat.
Vigorous work-outs - when you're breathing hard and sweating - help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging, or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.

Get fit with friends or family.
Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.

Join in physical activities at school.
Whether you take a physical education class or do other physical activities at school, such as intramural sports, structures activities are a sure way to feel good, look good and stay physically fit.

Foods aren't good or bad.
A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part -- or food -- is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is important. Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don't forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, you don't need a third.

Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

This is for general informational purposes only and it is not intended to provide anyone with specific advice or recommendation. This is not a substitute for advice from an appropriate professional. If you feel you need further help, we strongly suggest you seek assistance from an appropriate professional.

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