You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from
regular physical activity. Even modest amounts of physical activity can improve
your health. If you have been inactive for a while, you may want to start with
easier activities, such as walking at a gentle pace. This lets you build up to
more intense activity without getting hurt .
Start with small, specific
goals, like walking briskly 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week, and build up
slowly from there. Keep an activity log to track your progress. You can refer
to the sample activity log on page 17. As you become more fit, slowly increase
your pace, the length of time you are active, and how often you are active.
Try these activities to add
more movement to your daily life :
- Choose parking spots that are farther away from where you are going and walk the last few blocks. (Make sure the places you park and walk are well lit.)
- Walk around the inside of a mall in bad weather.
- Rake the leaves, wash the car, or do brisk housecleaning.
- Visit museums or the zoo. Many of these places are free. You and your family can walk for hours and not realize it.
- Take a break from sitting at the computer or TV. Go for a short walk or stretch.
- If your time is limited, do 10 minutes of exercise at a time. Spread these bursts of activity out throughout the day. Every little bit counts
By Hmad
