Did you know that 75% of Canadians do not practice enough physical activity to benefit their health? With the past two years of confinement, most Canadians have also responded that they have been less active than usual over the past few months.
The summer is the perfect opportunity to get into the habit of keeping fit. All you need is 30 minutes a day of physical activity to get you out of your sedentary lifestyle. It does not even need to be continuous; you can separate them into three sessions of 10 minutes.
Being active a little bit every day is not as hard as you might think. To help get you started on the right foot, here are a few good tips:
At home:
- Incorporate a few stretches in between those sips of coffee before you leave in the morning.
- Make a compilation of your favorite songs and dance to the beat of the music.
- Run your errands on foot or on a bike.
- When mowing the lawn, use a manual mower instead of an electric one.
- Use the pool for a mini workout: jog, jump, ski, skate in the water – it is refreshing and energizing!
At work:
- Go for a walk at lunch or better yet, bring your lunch to the park and have a picnic. If you are still telecommuting, don’t wait until the end of the day to step outside, go out for lunch. You’ll be less tired, more productive and energized in the afternoon.
- Team brainstorming on Zoom can be easily done with headphones while walking outside.
On vacation:
- Dare to try something new: virtual classes like belly dance, yoga, hip-hop, hiking on Mt. Tremblant, etc.
- Discover your neighborhood! Take a different route every time and walk for at least 10-15 minutes (or get a dog; you’re sure to succeed.)
- Make sure that you set aside a few days for some sporting activities that are relaxing, such as mountain biking or hiking. Discover your part of the country by other means than a car.
With the family:
- At the park, promise yourself that you won’t sit while you’re there. Instead, run around with the kids or take a walk around the park.
- Introduce your family to a new sport every summer: tennis, in-line skating, mountain climbing, etc.
- Walk with your family to the ice cream stand, shopping center, convenience store, etc.
The sum of all these little things could make a world of difference to your health. The entire MAA team wishes you a fantastic summer filled with simple pleasures.
