Physical Wellbeing

Physical Wellbeing: Community Forum

Question #1. What are some great ways to be active?

A combination of different physical activities that are appropriate for your age, level of fitness, and objective.

The smallest bit of physical activity is better than nothing.

Walking and cycling instead of driving or taking the bus for your commute.

Swimming, dancing, and heavy housework or yard work.

Uphill walking and climbing stairs.

Cross country skiing, fast racket games, running ball games, and aerobics.

Question #2. How do you maintain an active lifestyle when you have so many other demands on your time?

I maintain an active lifestyle by making all my physical activities as enjoyable as possible. When they become something, I enjoy doing, I look forward to them. When I look forward to them, I am more inclined to do the activity. For example, that is why most of the workouts I chose to do are dance workouts. It doesn’t feel like exercise when I’m dancing. Even with all the demands of the day or the week, I can make time for my daily physical activity by choosing workouts that are fun and don’t feel like exercise. Additionally, I also write down all the physical activity I do for the day in a log. Seeing each day filled in motivates me to not miss a day.

Question #3. How do you find a balance between all the things you are supposed to do to stay healthy?

I have to realize that it’s OK to take a break or rest day. Being physically active requires commitment, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it every day. Our bodies deserve a rest, especially when we’re under stress or feeling overwhelmed with our schedules. Of course, exercise is a great way to free us from that stress, but we shouldn’t feel guilty when we choose other avenues to relieve our stress. When I feel overwhelmed, I also just love to nap, read for fun, or talk/hang out with my sister. Being healthy is the balance between not under-doing it, but also not overdoing it either. This also means we shouldn’t scold ourselves for snacking or eating too much for the day too. If I’m craving something sugary, I’m going to listen to my body, eat the snack, and not feel guilty about it!