EXERCISE FOR A HEALTHY LIFE

Spring has sprung so it’s time to get moving. We all know exercise is good for overall health.

Did you know that 55% of adults and 66% of children are not meeting the national guidelines for exercise? That statistic is pretty staggering. But it is probably even more important now with children not being able to go to school, or adults working from home, and not having the walking to and/or around work component of their day-to-day lives.

Children should be getting 60 minutes or more of exercise per day. This can be made up of many things including vigorous aerobic exercise, or body weight-type activities e.g. climbing on playground.

Adults should be getting anywhere between 150-300 minutes per week. It should be a combination of around 75 minutes of aerobic exercise, along with a couple of muscle-strengthening sessions

Older adults should be getting 30 minutes of exercise per day, with a mix of aerobic and strength the focus. It doesn’t need to be vigorous, but moving at this age is very important.

The problem with being told to exercise is that sometimes that can be quite overwhelming. Which type of exercise should I do? Where should I go? How long for? It doesn’t matter what your exercise program contains, if you don’t do it, then there will NEVER be any benefit. If thinking about all this makes you overwhelmed, seek professional advice. We have so many great local businesses in the health, wellbeing and exercise space that there is bound to be someone that fits in with your idea of reaching your exercise goals.

Starting simple may be just walking around the block, or even up and down the hallway! Sitting up and down off your chair or stool, or doing a push-ups or lunges while you are waiting for the kettle to boil.

Something to keep in mind would be the components of exercise we are wanting to improve. There is much more to exercise than just aerobic capacity and the strength of your muscles. Whilst these are very important, so are other factors: