Get up and get moving! By now, most of us know the pitfalls of leading a sedentary lifestyle (double the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, increased risk of colon cancer, osteoporosis, depression and anxiety), but it isn’t always easy taking the leap and becoming more active. The key is to do what you don’t hate.

In a previous blog, we discussed that when it comes to weight loss, the “magic formula” is 85-15 (85% of what you eat, and 15% of what you do in the form of activity) but there are numerous benefits to being active that have nothing to do with the scale. In addition to lowering the above mentioned negatives, being more active can also improve muscle and bone health and improve sleep. How many of us have reached the end of our day feeling restless and unsettled? That can be due, in part, to having excess energy that needs to be burned off.

When you start being more active, it creates a cycle in the best of ways… burning energy gives you more energy (and less of a need to dive into the caffeine or sugar to get you through your day). Your body works and finds its own balance, which can improve everything from sleeping better to staying alert through the day to thinking clearly about projects you are working on.

The key is to find something you enjoy and will stick with. All of us have seen, and possibly at one time or another, admired the people who can run marathons and do just amazing feats of athleticism. Me? I will never be an athlete… ever… and I also will never be a runner. What works for me is to do at least ½ hour on my exercise bike every morning, while reading, before I get ready for my day. For someone who isn’t a morning person (and hates reading) the idea of this would be torture.

There are many active things you can do: Sports, running, walking, going to the gym, playing with your children/grandchildren, taking up yoga or a dance class, rowing…. The list really goes on and on. When you find something that you genuinely enjoy, you are that much more likely to stick with it for the long haul.

The changes won’t happen overnight, but taking the steps toward a healthier lifestyle now will give you so many benefits later! What is your favourite active activity? We’d love to hear from you!

 

Image by Andrzej Rembowski from Pixabay