Deciding to be More Active

Being active and healthy is a challenge for many of us here in our region of Ohio. Excuses and obstacles can be especially abundant during the colder months of the year. However, for those individuals who want to be more active and to improve their well-being, there is hope. With a little planning and strategizing, your goals are within reach. We recommend the following five strategies that may help you make physical activity a part of your daily life.

1.       Set aside one block of time every day to be active. Start with 20-30 minutes of time every day to be active and gradually increase daily activity time.
2.       Look for an additional 10-15 minutes during your day to be active. Squeezing in this additional activity will help create a healthy habit. Find that extra time that you have during your day that doesn’t require much adjusting. During commercials, instead of fast forwarding, try getting up and doing jumping jacks or push-ups. Those two minutes of activity will build up quickly.
3.       Replace inactive choices with active choices whenever there is an opportunity. An example would be to intentionally park your car in a spot that is furthest from your destination. Instead of looking for the closest spot, pull-up to the back row.
4.       Stretch all of your major muscle groups each and every day. Stretching is one the best ways to become more flexible and to prevent/avoid muscle soreness, cramps and injuries.  Start and end your day by stretching your main muscle groups.
5.       Choose activities that you enjoy. Find activities that you LOVE! If you have fun and enjoy your activities, then you will be much more likely to want to continue doing them. Anything/everything that gets your body moving should be considered.

With determination and planning, being active can become an ingrained part of your everyday life.