Achieving an active lifestyle is really about putting one foot in front of the other, taking one step at a time. You don't have to go to the gym to get moving — and you don't have to be a professional athlete for your daily activities to count as exercise. Little things, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking farther away from the grocery store, can go a long way toward helping you meet your weight management, energy or wellness goals.

The key to your success? Understand the impact of every step you take. Think about the amount of activity you're getting each day, write it down, and commit to doing a bit more the next day. Consistency is key, and if you choose activities you already enjoy, staying consistent shouldn't be a problem. Whether it's gardening, biking, walking your dog in the park or painting a room, many activities count as exercise and can be fun for you and your family.

No pain, no blame

Physical activity doesn't need to be painful or strenuous to produce benefits. Regular, moderate-intensity physical activity, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking five or more times a week, is a great goal for which to shoot. The key is to be consistent and build up to more activity once you've reached a comfort level.

The National Institutes of Health advises that exercise can be done all at one time, or at various times throughout the day. If it's been a while since you've been physically active, you may want to begin with light activities, like walking or swimming at a slow pace. You can start out by walking 30 minutes a day for three days a week, and you can build to 45 minutes of more intense walking a day, at least five days a week. With this regimen, you can burn 100 to 200 more calories per day.

The calories you save can be combined with those you burn from exercise. Once you start seeing the benefits of your choices, you may begin to realize that exercise can be even more enjoyable in the future.

• An increase in standing activities
• Special chores like painting a room, house cleaning, ironing, cooking and playing a musical instrument

• Walking at a consistent speed (15 minutes/mile)
• Weeding and hoeing a garden
• Cycling, skiing, tennis and dancing

• A brisk walk (10 minutes/mile) or walking with a load uphill
• Heavy manual labor, such as digging
• Basketball, climbing or soccer/kickball

• flexibility exercise to attain full range of joint motion
• strength or resistance exercise
• aerobic conditioning¹

Despite the proven benefits of physical activity, 63% of Canadian adults are not active enough to achieve optimal health benefits.²

References

1. National Institutes of Health. Available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/phy_act.htm. Accessed Jan. 27, 2007.
2. “ Physical Activities Benchmark Initiatives.” Public Health Agency of Canada. Available at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/fitness/work/activity_e.html . Accessed May 30, 2007.