Active Living

Why Active Living?

Exercise is essential for healthy living. To maximize health benefits, experts recommend that you do at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.

Here are 10 good reasons to get started

Physical activity can:

• Benefit your heart health
• Help you to maintain a normal, healthy weight
• Help build strong and healthy bones
• Improve your physical fitness and endurance
• Increase your physical strength and flexibility
• Tone your muscles and improve your shape
• Increase your resistance to infection
• Provide you with a general sense of well-being and improve your mood
• Build your self-esteem
• Give you an opportunity to mix socially and can be fun!

Start Slowly

If you have been inactive for a while, you may want to start with less strenuous activities like walking or swimming at a comfortable pace. Gradually building up your exercise intensity will allow you to gain fitness without causing strain.

Everything Counts

If exercise is usually the first thing you give up when burdened and stressed, you are not alone. But bear in mind that a couple of 10 minute sessions a day will lead to increased stamina and a long list of benefits to the mind, body and spirit. It may be a useful way to help you deal with the physical and psychological demands of a hectic life.
Examples of everyday activities that count include:

• walking up stairs instead of using lifts,
• walking up moving escalators,
• for short journeys, walking instead of driving,
• doing the housework
• DIY and gardening, such as painting or raking leaves.

Get moving!