Do you admire a professional athlete? Do you dream of becoming just like them when you are older? If you look carefully many athletes are healthy and fit. How do they stay fit?

Ladies and Gentlemen! I'm going to tell you how to "Get Active! Your Way, Everyday - For Life!"

First of all, what is a physical activity? We may not realize it yet but the simple things we do in life are physical activities, such as: walking the dog, washing the car, gardening or even square dancing. Most people think they need an expensive machine to exercise but that's a big misconception. An exercise can be as easy as walking the dog. It's great to have a passion for different physical activities or exercises. Before doing any physical activity, set a time limit as to how long you exercise. For example, 15-20 minutes of biking would be decent time limit. Remember rest is as important as physical activity.

Speaking of regular physical activity�how many Canadians are active? Well, the 1998 data shown by Health Canada isn't very encouraging. It shows that about 2 out of 3 Canadians are inactive. In fact, studies show that males are more likely to be active than females.

There are many health risks of physical inactivity and unhealthy eating such as: obesity, stroke, and premature death to name a few. The #1 health risk in Canada is cardiovascular disease. Each year this disease claims the lives of about 79,500 Canadians. Another big health risk is cancer. There are many types of cancer that occur because of physical inactivity. These different types of cancers claim many lives throughout North America. The last major health risk that I would like to focus on is obesity. Obesity in children has increased by over 50% between 1981 and 1988. What can be done to prevent obesity? There is evidence that people who are obese can reduce risk of disease by being active and fit.

What is physical fitness? The definition of physical fitness may vary between individuals but most agree that there are 5 basic components. They are aerobic endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility and body composition. What do these 5 components mean? Aerobic endurance reflects on how well your heart and lungs work together to supply oxygen during exercise. Muscular endurance is the ability to hold a particular position for a sustained period of time. Muscular strength is the ability to exert maximum force. Flexibility is the ability to elasticise the muscle. And finally, body composition is the proportion of fat in your body compared to your bone and muscle. By mastering these 5 components, physical fitness will be in your sights!

Going one step further and achieving physical fitness requires that we eat healthy as well. Professional athletes have to keep a balanced diet to stay fit and healthy. How much should a person consume? The amount of food an individual needs depends on how physically active they are, their body size, and age. In a day we should be able to take a bite out of all four food groups. Canada's Food Guide suggests that we have 5-12 servings of Grain Products, and 5-10 servings of Vegetables and Fruit, 2-3 servings of Meat and Alternatives, and 3- 4 servings of Milk Products.

There are many benefits of regular physical activity and healthy eating too. Benefits include: achieving better health, self-esteem, and weight control. A person can also look, feel, and perform better. Regular physical activity can also immunize our bodies. It can help prevent health hazards and diseases. To prove one point, studies show that young people who are physically active are less likely to use tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.

It just goes to show you that regular physical activity can save many, many lives. Many people think they have to be at a certain age to exercise. This is another misconception. Regular exercise is very essential for healthy growth and development during childhood. Regular exercise can develop aerobic fitness, strength, flexibility, and bone mass. As human beings we all need a quality life. People of any age group should participate in physical activities. So get out there no matter how old you are and "Get Active! Your Way, Everyday - For Life!"

Hawkesbury
2006 May 06