By Gabe Sanders, PhD, NSCA-CSCS
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the term “physical activity” is defined as any movement that results in muscle contraction.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that older adults (55 years and older) engage in some type of physical activity for a minimum of 2.5 hours weekly. Understandably, two and half hours out of your already hectic week may seem like a daunting task. For those of us who lead busy lives, physical activity can include walking the dog, cleaning the house, yard work, or general movement aside from seated sedentary activities. While light physical activity is not technically considered “exercise”, the positive impact that consistent, adequate amounts of physical activity can have on your health is similar to that of exercise. If you are someone who is just beginning to increase your physical activity level, you should aim to engage in some form of physical activity or exercise 2-5 days per week for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.
Awareness is the first step. Knowing the basics of physical activity is a step in the right direction to create a more active lifestyle. The most important and often most difficult step is taking initiative to routinely engage in adequate amounts of physical activity. It has been said that it takes 21 days to create a habit. Shifting your daily routine to involve more physical activity should not feel like a chore or obligation, simply a healthy lifestyle change. When you begin to make this change, try not to focus on counting the minutes that you spend moving around, rather focus on minimizing the amount of time that you sit. Sedentary activity, such as watching TV, should be reserved for the evening or at the very end of your day, and for a set amount of time. So the big question remains, “How do I engage in more physical activity without it feeling like a chore?”
Here are two simple rules to follow:
Sit less and move more. Avoid sitting for long periods of time.
I always tell people, “if you are not sitting down, you are moving in the right direction” (literally and figuratively). This may be the single most important factor towards improving your health. It is very important to find activities that you enjoy. Research has shown that a person is more likely to adopt and maintain certain physical activity behaviors if they like and enjoy the activities they are doing. If you need a break, take a break! Rome wasn’t built in a day! At first, your goal would be to reduce (not necessarily eliminate) the number times that you sit down and take a break from your daily activities.
Go for a daily walk with your significant other, friend, or neighbor.
Walking is a great activity for people of all ages. Walking burns calories, improves your heart health, and places a healthy amount of stress on your bones that can help improve your bone mineral density. Find a time of day or evening that is best for you and a spouse or friend and walk together. Research has shown that adding another person to your physical activity can significantly increase the activity level or intensity. It may not seem that difficult either!
Article’s Resources
Center for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/index.html
Thompson WR. ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription: 9th edition. In. American College of Sports Medicine. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2013.
Salvy, S.J., et al., Effect of peers and friends on youth physical activity and motivation to be physically active. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2009; 34(2): 217-225.