Becoming Active

Reflection

This last week I was interested in finding ways that would help people become more active. A lot of people are able to make excuses for their lack of physical activity because they don’t know where to start or because they don’t have enough time to be active while completing everything else. My goal was to find a way to incorporate physical activity into daily routines so that these reasons for not being active would become obsolete. With the extraordinary amount of benefits that are results of being physically active I believe that it is important that people start to live an active life. I found these guidelines and tips to be a great way to begin being physically active or increase your physical activity throughout the week.

Mathur Sunita. (March 20, 2015), "Running in the Morning." (Photograph).  Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2dePWB0

How to be Physically Active!

Pick an activity you like. Being interested in the activity that you are going to partake in to increase your activity level is important. If you are looking forward to going to your activity to get your physical activity for the day you are more likely to continue on. Having an activity that you have no interest in will make you think that physical activity is not enjoyable when it can be if you pick the right activity for you.     

Start Slowly. Beginning to become physically active is a great start but you don’t want to do to much to quickly. Starting a slow rate and progressively increasing the workload will help you continue an active lifestyle but also ensure safety. You will be put at risk of an injury if you do not do much physical activity or haven’t in a while and try to become more active than usual.

Take responsibility for those around you. Making sure that others are physically active will cause you to be more physically active as well. Being an example for friends and family will show them the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and encourage them to join with you. Being responsible for those around you living a healthy lifestyle will help you by also allowing yourself to see the reasons for being active and the benefits that it can have if you ever forget why you started.

Incorporate it into your daily life. With time being a deciding factor for some people on whether or not they can be physically active, making it part of your daily life allows you to become active. Walking or biking to work or school, or even part of the way, allows for you to get exercise without having the trouble of it being out of your way. Becoming more dependent on your own two feet to get you to places instead of your car will allow you to be physically active throughout your day.

Have fun! Make your activity fun and enjoyable. You should not look at physical activity as a nuisance to your life but instead something that you enjoy doing. If your having fun while being active time will go by quicker it will provide you with a better experience.

Public Health Agency of  Canada. (May 23 2011). Be Active (poster). Retrieved from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/hl-mvs/pa-ap/index-eng.php

Wrapping it up!

These guidelines should help create a fun and lasting physical activity routine. Physical activity should be a part of everyone’s life to create a healthier world. Being physically active should not be seen as a hindrance to people, but should be seen as an enjoyable experience that they can take part in together. If you feel there were some tips or guidelines missing on how to help people become or be more physically active please comment them, as I would love to hear more suggestions!