Staying Active: Health Canada

Simple ways that can help you stay active are good to keep in mind besides your daily routine of actual training, gym work, or sports. Health Canada provides us with important tips on the issue and a list of resources for further information.  





We all have heard many benefits of staying active, yet we like to keep reminding you of the simple facts to refresh your thoughts and motivations. 

Physical activity:
- improves your health and overall well-being
- reduces stress
- strengthens the heart and lungs
- increases energy levels
- helps you maintain and achieve a healthy body weight
- improves your outlook on life

On the other hand, physical inactivity:
- can cause premature death
- chronic diseases
- disability

So Health Canada encourages all of us to make physical activity part of our daily life at home, school, work, play, and all the other aspects of your routine. 

For children, this is part of their growth and development. 
For adults, being active makes daily tasks easier and more free of fatigue. 
For seniors, weight burning physical activity lowers the risk of bone loss linked to osteoporosis. 

Leading an active life also helps maintain strength, flexibility, and coordination and can reduce the risk of falls.

Overall, activity also makes you feel good about yourself. 

Some suggested activities by Health Canada:

• Take a walk once a day;
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator;
• Spend less time in front of the television or computer;
• Play actively with your kids;
• Walk, wheel or cycle for short trips; or
• Find out about walking and cycling paths nearby and use them.

Consult this resource t  Tips to Get Active for children, adults, and seniors. It includes information to aid you in making right choices about physical activity. 

Following are some resources suggested by Health Canada on leading a physically active life:

• Physical Activity Contribution Program: Supporting  Healthy Living for Canadians
•  Business Case for Active Living at Work
•  Stairway to Health
•  2005 Integrated Pan-Canadian Healthy Living Strategy
•  Physical Activity Unit

So, try to move more! It is as simple as that and it goes a long way in improving your health, mood and the quality of your life... 


Source
Health Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/physactiv/index-eng.php