Exercise Improves Well Being

Exercise Improves Well Being

Last week, we talked about how important a healthy diet is. But exercise is just as crucial and shouldn’t be overlooked. If you’re not active enough, you might end up with an energy imbalance, meaning you’re taking in more energy than you’re using. This can really impact your health and how you feel. As you grow older, you’ll need more exercise.

Here’s a simple guide on how much exercise you should aim for each day:

From birth to 1 year old, it’s important for infants to be physically active, especially through supervised floor-based play in safe environments. For kids aged 1 to 5, try to get at least three hours of activity spread throughout the day. For those between 5 and 12, aim for at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activities daily, and it’s even better if you can be active for up to three hours. Include strengthening activities like climbing or jumping at least three days a week. Teenagers aged 13 to 17 should also get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activities each day, with more health benefits if they can be active for several hours. Make sure to include muscle and bone-strengthening activities on at least three days per week.

Remember, you don’t have to do all your exercise at once. The various activities you do throughout the day add up. So, what counts as moderate and vigorous activity? Moderate activities make your heart beat a bit faster and your breathing quicker, like walking fast, bike riding, skateboarding, or dancing. Vigorous activities make you breathe really fast and your heart beat in the high range, such as organized sports, running, swimming laps, star jumps, or skipping. Try to be active in different ways and challenge yourself to try something new.

There are many reasons why we need to be physically active:

• To help your body grow properly, giving you strong bones, muscles, lungs, and heart.

• To improve your flexibility, balance, and coordination, so you can move well.

• To meet up with friends and make new ones.

• To learn how to run, throw, jump, catch, and kick, which are essential skills for many sports.

• To boost your fitness.

• To stay healthy and avoid getting sick.

• To feel happy and full of energy.

• To help maintain a healthy weight.

• To feel relaxed and confident.

• To improve your sleep.

• To enhance your posture.

• To learn new skills and challenge yourself.

• And most importantly, to have fun!

Task – Create an Exercise Log

Using a computer program you have access to, like Word or Excel, create an exercise log to keep track of your daily physical activity. Include the days of the week, the times you spend being active, and a space to write down the type of activity you did. The goal isn’t to assess how much exercise you do, but to encourage you to actively ensure you’re getting enough. Once you’ve created your Exercise Log, fill it in for a week. Has this activity encouraged you to be more active? You might want to make a few copies and continue using it. Save your initial Log in your Learning folder. An alternative exercise log can also be found in your activity sheet.