Times have changed. Years ago, our daily lives required tasks that were hard work, like chopping wood or hauling water. Today, modern technology and conveniences have made our lives much easier. We sit for much of the day: driving the car, working at a computer, and watching television.

This article gives you four excellent reasons for becoming more active. You need to use your muscles and bones to improve your physical and mental health and enhance the quality of your life.

Reason #1: Do It for the Physical Health Benefits

Want to cut in half your chances of getting colon cancer, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and coronary heart disease? That’s what regular physical activity will do for you.

Regular activity reduces your risk of:

• high blood pressure, stroke, and coronary heart disease;
• Type 2 diabetes;
• osteoporosis;
• colon cancer;
• obesity;
• anxiety;
• depression.

Being active will also

• give you more energy;
• improve your posture and balance;
• help you maintain a healthy weight

Reason #2: Do It for the Fun

Most people who dance, swim, play tennis, or go hiking do it because they like it! But having fun also benefits your health. Taking part in an activity that you enjoy will help you relax and reduce stress. It will also help you feel good about yourself. The end result? Improved mental health.

What activity appeals to you? It makes sense to find an activity that you enjoy doing by yourself or with others, because you are more likely to stick with it. Find out what opportunities there are in your community to try new activities and learn new skills.

Physical activity doesn’t have to be hard to be good for your body. You don’t have to sweat it out at a gym if you would prefer to be outdoors or walking in a mall.

Reason #3: Do It to Spend Time with Family and Make New Friends

Being active will give you opportunities to meet people and connect with family and friends.

Your time is one of the most precious gifts you can give your family. Spend more time outdoors with your partner and/or children. The fresh air and space offer the freedom to leap, run, and climb. Walk the dog, play at the park, teach your children a game from your childhood, or listen to your grandparents’ stories as you wander through a museum.

Group activities at a community or recreation centre can provide you with social support and a sense of belonging. While getting the exercise your body needs, you can also make friends who can help you deal with the stresses of life. Check out programs that are available locally, and talk to your friends about activities they do.

Reason #4: Do It to Stay Independent as You Get Older

Physical activity helps you live better as you grow older. Staying active will help you reach, bend, lift, carry, and move around more easily, so you can continue doing the things you like to do. The more you sit or lie around, the stiffer your joints become. Stretching and strength exercises will keep your muscles and joints mobile and help to prevent falls and injuries.

You’re never too old to enjoy the benefits of more activity. Being active is safe for most people. Start slowly and build up. If you are unsure about how much activity to do, talk to your doctor.

It’s Important to Be Active

Being active is one of the most important things you can do for your health. When you’re active, your body works better, and you lower your chances of getting heart disease, diabetes, stroke, or colon cancer. Activity feels good, gives you more energy, and makes you feel better about yourself. And physical activity doesn’t need to be a chore.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

Exercise is a type of physical activity that some people enjoy. Other people dislike even the word “exercise” because it brings back bad memories for them.

Both physical activity and exercise, combined with healthy eating, can help prevent weight gain and certain chronic diseases.

If you’re not sure of the difference between physical activity and exercise, this article is for you! You’ll also find out whether physical activity or exercise is best for you and about ways to overcome barriers to becoming more active.

What’s the Difference Between Physical Activity and Exercise?

Exercise
Exercise is a form of physical activity that is planned, structured and done to improve at least one aspect of physical fitness. that is, strength, flexibility or endurance.

Examples of common exercise directions include the following:

* Do whole body resistance training three days per week (two sets of eight to 12 repetitions).
* Do whole body stretching exercises daily.
* Do 30 minutes on a treadmill at 65 per cent of your maximum heart rate.

Exercise is effective in improving people’s health, well-being and overall quality of life.

Physical Activity
Physical activity includes activity that is part of your daily life. Household, workplace and lifestyle physical activity are three of the most common types of physical activity:

* Household physical activity, such as sweeping and cleaning.
* Workplace physical activity, including lifting boxes or walking for longer than 10 minutes.
* Lifestyle physical activity, such as carrying a basket at the grocery store rather than wheeling a cart.

A complete physical activity program should still include strength, endurance and flexibility. For example, physical activity you could do during your day could include:

* Walking to the grocery store.
* Carrying the groceries home in a backpack, carrying a couple of bags in your arms.
* Putting away the food cans in the very back of the cupboard, alternating using your left and right hands.

This combination of activities makes endurance, strength and flexibility training part of your daily living.

What’s Best for You? Physical Activity or Exercise?
Many people find it a challenge to get enough physical activity and exercise. For example, 48 per cent of Albertans and 51 per cent of Canadians are inactive.

Physical activity can improve or maintain the mental and physical health of sedentary people. However, physical activity may not provide additional health benefits to people who are already highly active in sports and who exercise daily.

Basically, be active in whichever form of activity you prefer and can fit into your life regularly (exercise or physical activity).

You may find a combination of exercise and physical activity the easiest to maintain over the long run. The key is to find activities you enjoy and then to do them regularly.

Overcoming Barriers to Participating in Physical Activity or Exercise
There can always be barriers to being active. Common barriers include:

* Lack of time.
* Inconvenience.
* Dislike of activity.
* Lack of confidence in being able to be active safely and correctly.
* Accessibility issues.
* Lack of motivation.

Some strategies to overcome these barriers include:

* Being active in smaller “chunks” through the day, such as walking 10 to 15 minutes three or four times a day or always carrying bags or groceries instead of using a cart.
* Starting a walking group at work during lunch hour or at home with your neighbours to create a fun group that makes being active more interesting.
* Doing activities like bowling or swimming instead of going out for dinner with your family.

Some activity is better than none, and more is better than some. Finding enjoyable and practical activities is an important first step in becoming active.

Physical activity and exercise will both give you health benefits if you do them regularly over one to two years.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com