Only about 35% of Canadians get enough regular physical activity. But it's
easier than you may think. Read on for exercise and nutrition tips to stay active
and fit.
Why exercise?
Studies show that only about 35% of Canadians get enough regular physical activity
- 65% of people are not active enough to maintain their heart health. Regular
physical activity can help you maintain a healthy body weight and reduce your
risk of conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Exercise can help you:
- improve your muscle tone
- relieve stress
- improve your body image
- increase your energy and concentration levels
- protect your bones
- improve your circulation
- improve your digestive health
- have fun and be social
If you're not a big fan of gruelling workouts in the gym, rest assured that
there are plenty of fun ways to stay fit with outdoor activities. And when you're
having fun, you're more likely to stick with an exercise plan that's right for
you. Even thirty minutes of moderate exercise each day will help improve and
maintain your health. See the next article in this feature for some physical
activity ideas.
Physical activity ideas
There are more ways than you might think for you and your family to get enough
physical activity to keep healthy. Here are a few ideas:
Take a walk. Walking is one of the simplest activities to get the ball
rolling. All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes and a pleasant walking
trail. Take a walk after lunch and dinner, or get off one bus stop early on
your way to work.
Make a play for it. You might have flown a kite or thrown a Frisbee
as a kid - why not now? Once in the park, you might see other activities that
encourage you and your family to have fun exercising.
Start a family health club. Gather your family together one evening
or weekend and make up a list of activities that everyone can enjoy. Put your
list on the fridge with a calendar and plan for evenings when you can try a
new activity. For example, your list might include softball, cycling, tennis
or basketball. A list of fun activities will be more beneficial to your family
than a list of favourite TV shows.
Support the sports. Most sports activities increase your physical fitness,
contribute to heart and bone health, and help you maintain a healthy body weight.
And you don't need to be a professional athlete to benefit from team or individual
sports. Participating in individual or team recreational sports, such as baseball,
tennis, soccer, cycling, swimming or running, is an excellent way to increase
your level of physical activity and fitness. Team sports are also a great way
to meet others who are motivated to stay fit. Visit your closest community recreational
centre or sports club for more information on organized individual or team sports.
Just the basics. Scientific evidence suggests that even low-intensity,
general lifestyle activities have health benefits. You can stay healthy with
activities such as:
- gardening and yard work
- leisure activities such as golf, tennis, or bowling
- housework
- dancing
- walking up stairs
Nutrition tips
Everybody knows that you need to eat the right things if you want to stay healthy
and fit. But what are the "right things"? What does your body need
in order to help you stay active?
One important answer is glucose. Glucose is the fuel your body needs, especially
at the beginning of exercise. Even after you've been exercising for a while
and your muscles are getting energy from fat, glucose is still important. It's
like gasoline for your body - so keep your gas tank full.
Where do you get glucose? You get it from carbohydrates. Maintain a well-balanced
diet and choose lots of fruit and vegetables to go with your grains (pasta,
rice, bread, cereal). And remember to eat the right things at the right times
- food takes time to digest.
Water is another part of eating healthy. You need water to keep the nutrients
circulating in your body and to clear out the waste. And you sweat off a lot
of water when you exercise (even if you're swimming). You can get your water
from milk, juice, sports drinks - or plain old water.
Here's what to eat and drink before, during and after exercise:
More than 3 hours before exercising
- Eat a regular meal if you want, since you'll have enough time to digest.
Balance a serving of lean meat with a good amount of carbohydrates - rice,
spaghetti or bread - plus fruit and vegetables and water, milk or juice.
- Drink regular amounts of fluid - a glass or two every hour.
Just before exercising
- Stick with light, easy-to-digest snacks. Go for fruits and fruit snacks,
perhaps with a few light carbohydrates (graham crackers, cereal, a muffin).
- Keep yourself well hydrated so you'll have enough water circulating in your
system (but not so much that you feel overfull or will have to keep stopping
for restroom breaks).
During exercise
- Drink an average of a cup of liquid every 15 to 20 minutes.
- Water will be fine for short exercise periods, especially if you've eaten
enough in advance. For exercise lasting more than an hour, you may want to
keep your energy up with sports drinks or juice mixed with water.
After exercising
- If you will be exercising again in the next 24 hours, eat some carbohydrate-rich
foods within a half hour of your workout.
- If you will be exercising again in a day or two, make sure to keep lots
of carbohydrates in your diet to keep your glucose gas tank full.
See the section in this feature on "Specific foods" for more details
on what to eat.
Specific foods
While weight lifters and long-distance runners may need a little more protein
than the recreational athlete, most of us will get more than enough from eating
regular meals and a variety of foods.
How much protein?
Despite what many active people think, protein from foods like meat, chicken,
eggs, or fish is not an important source of fuel for exercise. While weight
lifters and long-distance runners may need a little more protein than the recreational
athlete, most of us will get more than enough protein from eating regular meals
and a variety of foods.
Get your vitamin C and E
Experts have suggested that being active produces harmful free radicals - particles
that can damage cells and genetic material (DNA). It may be important to eat
foods rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C and E to help repair this damage.
Foods rich in these vitamins include strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, kiwi
fruit, olive oil, wheat germ and nuts.
Eat iron-rich foods
Studies have found that runners, particularly female runners, may have low levels
of iron. This may be because they eat less meat (which is high in iron), absorb
less iron and consume fewer calories. It is important to eat enough iron-rich
foods such as dried fruit, spinach, enriched cereals and low-fat meat.
Other general nutrition tips
Here are a few simple tips for enjoying nutritious foods:
- Start your day with breakfast. Especially as you start to exercise
more, you'll need the morning fuel to be productive during and after work.
Skipping breakfast will only make you hungrier throughout the day and more
likely to overindulge in unhealthy foods. Eating regular, smaller meals is
the best way to burn calories most efficiently.
- Keep a bowl of fresh fruit ready. Place a bowl of fruit on your kitchen
table and at your desk at work.
- Pack your lunch the night before. You'll be more likely to plan nutritious,
satisfying lunches if you're not scrambling for the nearest snack in the early
morning or at work.
- Be inspired. If you enjoy cooking and eating, buy a healthy cookbook
or food magazine to help you cook creative nutritious meals.
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