What are health and fitness?
A healthy and fit body is essential for living a full life. It improves your mood, makes you feel better and helps prevent many diseases, such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and high blood pressure.
Exercise and other activities that keep you active are important for health and well-being, but most people don’t get enough physical activity to benefit their health. This is especially true for older adults, who often have limited mobility and lower muscle strength.
Make Exercise a Part of Your Everyday Life
You should make a point of being active in at least 30 minutes each day. This can be through activities such as walking, gardening, dancing, or taking the dog for a walk. It also can be through activities that are part of your daily routine, such as preparing meals and cleaning the house, explains Elizabeth Sallis, author of The Healthy Weight Plan: A Simple Guide to Losing Weight Through Nutrition, Diet and Exercise (HealthyWays Publishing).
Build Up Your Exercise Time
If you don’t currently have much time for exercise, it can be difficult to make it a regular part of your daily routine. This is why it is important to build up your exercise time gradually, suggests Michael Donavanik, NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist at the Welcyon Health and Fitness franchise in Portland, Oregon.
Start by finding small ways to include more movement in your daily life, such as getting off the tram or train a stop early and walking the rest of the way home from work, he says. You can also find ways to include physical activities in your everyday life that don’t involve moving much, such as playing with the children, doing chores around the house, and taking a walk when you go shopping, he adds.
Choose Exercises That Are Fun and Rewarding
If you haven’t exercised in a while or you’re not sure which exercises are right for you, it can be helpful to talk with a professional about what kinds of activities are best for you. These professionals, such as an exercise physiologist or physical therapist, can help you set and achieve your fitness goals.
Choose Activities that Strengthen Your Core
Having good core strength is vital for your overall health and fitness. It helps you move more efficiently, and can prevent back injury. It can also strengthen muscles around the abdomen and pelvis, which can reduce your risk of falling.
Stretching, Yoga and other types of flexibility exercises can also help you stay flexible. They can also improve your posture and balance, which are important for maintaining healthy bones and muscles.
In addition, it can help you manage stress and improve your mental health, which can have long-term benefits. It can also improve your self-esteem and sense of well-being, he adds.
Set a Measurable Goal
Once you have decided on the types of fitness activities that are right for you, it’s time to decide what your goal is. Having a specific and measurable goal can help you keep track of your progress and ensure you stick to your workout schedule, Lindsay Ogden, a NASM-certified personal trainer at the Life Time fitness chain tells Health.