What do you find time for in your life? People's responses to this question often
fall into two categories: those things that are fun and enjoyable, and those that are priorities. We look at ways to make
sure getting fit falls into both.
Enjoyable activities
Most of us can find time to watch a favourite movie or listen to a new piece of music by a
band or a musician we like. But for many people, exercise isn't perceived as fun. Here are a few ideas you may want to
consider to make exercising more enjoyable:
- Exercise with a friend at a pace that means you
can still talk to each other
- Be active to music
- Choose to exercise
in a beautiful place, such as a beach, park or river bank
- Exercise while wearing clothes that
make you feel good and feel comfortable
- Vary your activity so you don't get bored so, for
example, if you normally exercise indoors, try an outdoor activity and vice versa
- Try something
that helps you 'find the child within', such as flying a kite or using a microscooter or trampoline
From
a health perspective, the important thing is that you're moving, your heart is pumping blood at a slightly increased rate
and you're using up calories to power your muscles. So choose activities that you want to do, not those that you think
you should do - there's more chance you'll find time for them.
Life's
priorities
All of us have priorities that form the 'have-to-do' list
in our lives. These priorities might include caring for someone, attending school or college, finding a job or going to work.
Sometimes these become more than just priorities and take up all our time, leaving little space for leisure and recreation.
However, there's a well-established and growing scientific theory that shows physical activity is an essential
part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Consider that:
- Eat a variety of foods
- Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. In other words,
if you don't exercise, you dramatically increase your risk of dying from a heart attack.
- Being
physically active is associated with good mental health. It can help in the management of conditions such as depression and
anxiety.
- Obesity is on the increase in the US and part of the solution is physical
activity. If you don't do enough exercise and you eat too much, you're going to get fat, which can be dangerous to
your health.
- Exercise also has a positive effect on a range of medical conditions including
hypertension, diabetes and lower back pain.
To achieve these health benefits, it's recommended that
people take 30 minutes' moderate physical activity (for example, brisk walking), five days a week.
That's
1.5 per cent of the total time in a seven-day week - and for a priority such as improving your health, that represents an
excellent investment of time and effort.
