How to exercise in your daily life can be more straightforward than it sounds
The world is more passive – or at least part of it. And this is far from being just a question related to a more defined body. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 70% of the world’s population is sedentary.
In other words, 70% of people worldwide have a much higher risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and obesity, among several other illnesses directly linked to physical inactivity.
There are, in all, 1.4 billion individuals in these conditions, including children, adolescents and young people.
How do you exercise in your daily life?
With the changing habits of the population in recent decades, the human body was gradually suffering the consequences. Today it is much less easy to walk; elevators and escalators are preferred. Delivery services for a variety of products significantly reduce the need for shopping trips, and the innovations that came to make our lives more practical also ended up impacting people’s mobility. Everything got more accessible, but it also ended up stimulating a sedentary lifestyle.
So how do you start exercising? What should we do before engaging in physical activity? First, it’s essential to know that there are no age limits for physical practice: it’s always time to move your body from childhood to old age!
As this is a new habit, the ideal is to choose an activity that you like to feel motivated and make it a habit.
One of the ways to bring the practice of physical activities into everyday life is starting with simple things. If your work can be accessed by public transport, why not change your car for the bus, train or subway a few times a week? If you go by car, try to park a little farther from work to enjoy a few minutes of walking. Or go down a point or station before you’re used to it.
Another tip is: if you already use public transport to work or study, it’s a good idea to plan to get off one or two stops (or a few stations) beforehand.
Switching from the elevator or escalators to fixed stairs is also an excellent option. With this, the habit of walking for longer is created – and the body starts to get used to the movement.
What should we do before engaging in physical activity?
The main tip is to seek a doctor before starting to run, work out, practice swimming, or any other sport. He will carefully assess your physical condition and will be able to tell you which type of activity is most suitable. Furthermore, it will also determine the intensity of the practice.
Taking care of food is also an essential step at this time. Food is a great ally. Through food, we get the energy to perform physical activity, we replace what was lost during exercise (energy and water), and we provide substrates for the development and strengthening of muscles (proteins, for example),
How to start exercising?
But how long do you exercise a day? According to data from the American College of Sports Medicine, USA, five sessions of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity are the minimum enough to scare away sedentary lifestyles.
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) recommends that people between 18 and 64 years old practice at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise with moderate intensity or 75 minutes with high intensity. In this way, it is already possible, for example, to reduce the risk of heart problems and diabetes.
And how to start doing physical activity? Finding a practice that brings satisfaction is essential to maintaining motivation.
Didn’t identify with the gym routine? How about testing Pilates? Its movements reflect on sleep, concentration and several other areas of our body ( In this article, we talk about the benefits of Pilates ).
Or are you maybe walking or running? Fights are also a possibility. The important thing is to choose something pleasurable.
Low-impact activities, such as walking, help get the body used to the new routine and decrease the chances of injury. Varying activities is also a way to ward off discouragement and identify which activity has the most to do with you.
You can still exercise at home! The same precautions apply here; start slowly, respect your body’s limits and choose workouts that satisfy you.
How not to get discouraged
Unforeseen events happen. If your goal is to exercise three times a week, but some commitment ends up getting in the way of one or more training days, don’t give up! Pick up where you left off: this is essential to ensure the body adapts to the new habit.
Also, set realistic goals. Trying to run long distances or lift a lot of weight in the first few weeks can be frustrating, so the chance of quitting is greater. Focus on the quality of life provided by the physical practice, and the rest will follow. Remember always to respect the limits of your body.