Physical Activity

To become active on a consistent basis you need to find movement modalities that you enjoy.  It doesn't mean you have to sign up for a gym membership.  If you can meet the activity requirements via other forms of movement, that's all that matters!

 

FOUR AREAS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

There are four areas of physical activity that need to be addressed on a consistent basis in order to achieve optimal physical fitness:

CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITY (Aerobic / Endurance)
The goal is to get your heart rate up!

18-64yr olds: 150-300 mins moderate intensity, or 75-150 mins of vigorous intensity per week.

EXERCISE IDEAS: Running. Swimming.  Biking. Rowing. Soccer. Rugby. Ice Skating. Ice Hockey. Tennis.  Pickleball. HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training. 
OTHER ACTIVITIES: Hiking. Brisk Walking. 

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STRENGTH / POWER TRAINING

The goal is to exercise every muscle group in your body to their limit, minimum 2x week.

EXERCISE IDEAS: Weight training. Pilates. Body Building. CrossFit. Kettlebell. Gymnastics.
OTHER ACTIVITIES: Gardening (moving pots, turning compost pile). 

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FLEXIBILITY / MOBILITY TRAINING

The goal is to optimize your range of motion by moving your body in every possible direction (forwards, backwards, sideways and rotate), for 20 minutes, minimum 2x week.

EXERCISE IDEAS: Pilates. Judo. Karate.  Swimming. Climbing. Parkour.  Stretching. Yoga. Gymnastics.
OTHER ACTIVITIES: Dancing. 
 

BALANCE / COORDINATION TRAINING

The goal is to shift away from your center of gravity, adjusting fulcrums and levers to test/strengthen your balance, for 20 minutes, minimum 2x week.

EXERCISE IDEAS:  Tai chi.  Qi Gong. Yoga.  Pilates.  Judo.  Karate. Parkour. Climbing. Gymnastics.
OTHER ACTIVITIES: Dancing. Playing Twister. 

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HOW TO GET MOVING

1. Find your motivations for wanting to move.  Make sure they are YOUR motivators and not coming from some external source (because my doctor told me to do it, because my friends are doing it).   

2. Make sure your needs are being met: find a movement method that you like (check the resources list below for suggestions on activities you can leverage), do it in a place/with people you enjoy, at a level (intensity, speed, frequency, tempo, progression) where you feel confident and in control.  The idea of "no pain, no gain" is wrong - you do not have to experience pain in order to get value out of your activity. 

3. If you're not feeling confident/competent, set the bar lower and/or get help - make it challenging but attainable and build from there.  Whatever feels right for you is right for you.... don't compare your starting point to others.  If you need help, ideally, seek the support of a trained fitness professional (leverage the resources below to find one).

4. Make sure you have at least 4 options/alternatives for getting the activity done.  Example:  Planned on a brisk walk, but it's raining today - Option 1: walk on the treadmill, Option 2: stop by the mall and do your walk there, Option 3: walk around the floor of your office building, Option 4: march in place while watching your kid's basketball practice. 

5. Focus on the little actions that get you going: put the exercise gear on, get gym shoes tied, fill water bottle, set timer on watch, get out the door.

6. Mix and match to make progress: play around with the TYPE, FREQUENCY, INTENSITY and DURATION to make progress.  Example: START: Walking 2x week, casual stroll, 10 mins.  AFTER A MONTH: Walk briskly 4x week for 20 mins.  AFTER 3 MONTHS: Move up to jogging 2x week for 15 minutes.

7. Monitor for motivation: wear a fitness monitor to continuously track your efforts, count out loud the # reps/laps, log it down when done to tangibly recognize your effort, log consistently to track your overall progress and motivate you to keep going. 

8. Make yourself accountable:  team up with a friend/partner and be accountable to each other, get a trainer and be accountable to them, share your progress with others, commit to a goal publicly, post your progress on the fridge door.

9. Reward your efforts AND your progress:  got out there 10 days in a row - go see that new movie, reached that new weight goal - go get that massage, can now bend over w/out anything hurting - buy that bouquet of flowers. 

10. Enjoy it!  If you're not enjoying what you're doing - STOP! Take a moment to evaluate: if it's temporary (having a bad day, OK, that happens), if it's consistently a miserable experience - re-evaluate and find an alternative activity that brings you joy - that's what's going to help you establish a life-long love for moving!
 

HOW TO STAY ACTIVE

1. Develop a "library" of movement activities you enjoy.  As long as they enable you to address the four areas (cardiovascular, strength, mobility, flexibility) enjoy them all!  The more choices you have to pick from, the more likely you are to stay active throughout your life.  Keep in mind, it doesn't have to just be a "gym exercise" to qualify.  Other options might be gardening, dancing, playing twister with the kids, shoveling snow, vacuuming/cleaning the house, painting a room, cleaning out the garage, washing the dog, turning a compost pile, stacking logs, dancing, backpacking, water skiing, snow skiing, snow shoeing and more! 

2. Change things up - physically: there are FOUR areas of movement you need to focus on (cardiovascular, strength, mobility, flexibility), so be sure to find movement activities that address each area. Example: Strength training: lift weights in the gym, stacking logs, moving heavy gardening pots, loading a truck w/ boxes, carrying a toddler. 

3. Change things up - mentally: keeping things interesting will prevent boredom setting in.  Mix up your movement choices to keep you motivated.  Jogging today, dancing tomorrow.  Pilates this week, yoga next week. Gardening on Saturday, going for a bike ride on Sunday. 

4. Get snacking - as in exercise snacking!  Introduce little "sets" throughout your day.  Example:  used the kitchen sink - do 10 pushups from the kitchen counter.  Need to pick up something off the floor - get down and do a 30 second plank.  Need to do a load of laundry - do 20 jumping jacks when you put the clothes in the washer, and 20 more when they go in the dryer.  Brushed your teeth - bend over (forward fold) slowly, reach for your toes and hold for 30 seconds. 

5. Little things add up over time: watch TV while sitting on an exercise ball vs the couch, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park the car at the far end of the parking lot instead of close to the door of the building, walk to the bathroom at the far end of the office floor (instead of the one closest to you), fold laundry standing up vs sitting down, work from a standing desk as much as you can vs sitting in a chair, get rid of the leaf blower and use the rake instead.

6. Something is better than nothing: If you can't get that planned 45 min workout in, but can get in 30 mins, do it.  Avoid the trap of thinking it's all, or nothing. Every minute, every moment matters.

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USING A MONITORING DEVICE (ie  FitBit)

If you use a monitoring device be aware of the following:

- different models have different performance accuracy and standards of operating. 

- hip/waist wearing models tend to be more accurate than wrist models.

- the more consistent you are with your speed/intensity, the more accurate the measuring capabilities

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