Physical Activity
What sort of activity should I do?
Once you’ve decided to Live Life Well and be active on most days of the week, you’ll need to choose an activity, or range of activities that suit you.
The most important thing is to choose something that you will enjoy and fits with your lifestyle. This way you are more likely to stick at it.
See your doctor for advice, support and a check-up before you start any new physical activity program. This is particularly important if you are over 40 years, overweight, haven’t exercised for a while or have a chronic medical condition.
When choosing physical activities, consider:
Would I prefer being active on my own? With a training partner? Would I prefer a group program or team sport?
Being active on your own is a good choice if you’re too busy to plan regular time to be active each day. However, you’ll need to be self-motivated, otherwise you might find too many excuses not to get moving!
If you have a training partner, you might just be more likely to commit to a routine of regular activity, as you won’t want to let them down.
Team sport or group activities can be a great way to be social. You’ll also have other people to encourage you.
And of course, you can mix it up. Being active in lots of different ways can help prevent boredom.
You may want to run through this checklist to help you decide the best choices for being active regularly:
- Think about the weather. Don’t choose an outdoor activity if you don’t like the heat or cold.
- Think about enjoying it. Don’t choose something just because it’s good for you, enjoying it and sticking at it is more important.
- Think about the past. If there was something you enjoyed when you were younger, why not try that again?
- Think about the cost. You’ll need to keep your budget in mind. If you don’t have much money to spare, you’ll need to pick something that doesn’t need too much equipment or membership fees.
- Think about your current level of fitness. If it has been a while and you’re a bit out of shape, the demands of some activities, such as running, may be too much at first. Choose something you can do, then build your way up.
- Think about what will keep you interested. It’s important not to get bored, so you may need to mix it up.