This is the third of a four-part series on physical activity.  The first two entries were dedicated to children (ages 5-11) and youth (ages 12-17).  This one is geared towards adults (ages 18-64).

One of the drawbacks to being an adult is you can have a lot of responsibilities, and juggling them can be pretty time-consuming.  Whether it’s work, school, or taking care of the kids, sometimes there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day.  But regardless of how busy you are, exercising is one thing that should not be overlooked since it’s an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle.  In a given week, try to aim for about 2.5 hours of exercise that includes both aerobic and strength-training activities.[1]

For aerobic exercises, you’re looking for activities that will increase your heart-rate, like biking or roller-blading, for example.  Where strength-training is concerned, look for activities that create resistance to your bones and muscles, like weight-lifting or push-ups, for example.

Exercising doesn’t necessarily mean spending hours of your time in a gym and paying monthly fees to maintain one’s well-being.  Running, swimming or even just climbing the stairs at work during your break are easy and relatively cheap ways to keep active too.  If you’re looking for something you feel might be a little more enjoyable, look to fast-paced sports like basketball or soccer to accomplish your fitness goals.

Staying active can have many rewards, but leading a healthy lifestyle is as important as any.  Exercise helps reduce the risk of a number of illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis.  On a more positive note, physical activity can help increase your energy levels and even your self-esteem.

For more information on this topic, please contact the health professionals at Kew Gardens Health Group.

Part four will cover seniors (ages 65+).

Written by Stephen Colomvakos for Kew Gardens Health Group

ACTIVE LIVING (part 2)

This is the second of a four-part series on physical activity.  The first was dedicated to children (ages 5-11), and this one will speak more to youth (ages 12-17).  If you missed Part I you can find it here.

As one enters their pre-teen, and teenage, years, exercise should be an important part of life to help create and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Since children at this age are starting to enter junior-high and high school, gone are the days when you had recess and the chance to run around outside in between classes.  So whether it’s gym class, or after school sports, one should aim to partake in daily activities to make up for that void.

What you should be looking for here is roughly one hour of daily activity with medium-to-high intensity; something that will not only get your heart pumping but that will also allow for a little resistance to help muscle growth too.  Swimming and running, for example, are great all-around exercises as they both strengthen bones and double as great aerobic exercises too. ^[1]

There are other benefits too, than just improving your body physically.  Exercise can also help improve one’s confidence, it can help increase your concentration, which could lead to better marks in school, and it can even help reduce stress, to name a few.

So whether you decide to join a school sport, or you choose something to do with friends, like indoor rock climbing, the important thing is that you find something you really enjoy.  Not only does it make things more fun, but where your physical well-being is concerned, you’ll be doing something that is really good for you too.

For more information on this topic, please contact the health professionals at Kew Gardens Health Group.

Part three will cover adults (ages 18-64).