Get Moving
Posted by Emma Buckley | 25th Jul 2019
Get Moving
As a nutritionist, my area is of course food, but it all falls into the category of ‘health’. The WHO definition of health is complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity.” When we speak with our clients, we’re interested in not just what they eat but also their activity levels; the best results come from combining nutrition and hydration with exercise, sleep and rest.
What I adore about this time of year is seeing the increase in people out there taking walks, running, cycling and playing sport. And it always inspires me to see people taking control of their health and being active is so very important, especially as we age. As adults we are recommended to get 30 minutes of activity at least 5 days a week. This doesn’t have to be in one 30 minute session, it can be broken up into 3 x 10 minutes so if time is limited, this might make it a little bit more manageable.
Have you ever looked at children simply playing outside? They don’t even think about ‘exercise’ they just go out and play. They run when they’re playing chasing or bulldog, they hit and sprint when they’re playing Rounders. They don’t even consider weight bearing or resistance training; they swing from a tree or a climbing frame and they ‘muscle up’ on to a bar.
Somewhere along the way as adults, we tend to forget how to play at exercise.
It should be fun, it should be enjoyable and pretty much unnoticeable. Remember what you used to love playing as a child; when you’d come home rosy faced, happy and tired? See if you can recreate that sense of adventure and fun.
If you haven’t been taking regular exercise for a while, it’s never too late to start but start slowly and at a manageable rate and if you’ve any health concerns, always talk to your GP first. But when you’re good to go; find a buddy, make a date and do something – anything – walking, dancing, gardening, whatever you love to do.
Staying active is one of the best things you can do for yourself; physically, mentally and
socially – the cornerstone of what true health is!