what is considered an active lifestyleFitness 

What Is Considered An Active Lifestyle?

Have you been living healthily your whole life? Before the pandemic, you may have been staying active or maintaining your usual physical activity like exercising every chance you get. But when 2020 started, your active lifestyle may have halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Safety measures have been imposed and disturbed our usual activities. However, that should not hinder us from doing things to keep fit with exercising and healthy eating.  But first, what is considered an active lifestyle?

 

Staying Fit And Healthy

Exercising and following an active lifestyle can make you reach your ideal physical activity, improving your weight management and performance. Normal exercise routines are a vital element of staying healthy and fit. However, you can observe that your weight fluctuates from gaining and losing a few pounds relentlessly. If this happens, you might need to tweak and twist some of your usual workout routines.  Not all training activities give the exact benefits, so  — an intense workout will torch more calories than one performed at a slow pace.

 

 

Benefits of Having an Active Lifestyle

  • Have better strength to perform your activities. When you work out or have an active lifestyle, You can do daily errands and activities without any problem. While others who live like couch potatoes get exhausted after doing mild house chores, having an active body lets you carry out all your activities without feeling tired.
  • Manage your weight. Do not maintain a sedentary lifestyle. With exercising, you can be in charge of your weight loss or weight gain. If you want to build more muscles, working out with strength and weight training helps. Losing weight? Do more cardio and combine your active lifestyle with a healthy diet regimen.
  • Improve your health and physical activity. The truth is, the only downside of having a fit and active lifestyle is extreme exhaustion that can lead to accidents and injuries. However, if you perform your active workouts optimally, it can surely help reduce your health risks for developing cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, or stroke. The most favorable activities can also help you move and work out your bones and joints, making your body flexible, slimmer, and healthier. This means you can distance yourself from developing bone, joint, or muscle problems like arthritis, disk herniation, or osteoporosis.
  • Develop a better outlook in life. Because you feel healthier and stronger, you can physically do what you want to do without thinking of your limits and restrictions. You feel confident, and your mood improves. Studies even show that staying active can lessen or prevent aggravating depression and stress. They also allow you to have better sleeping habits.

 

Physical Activity: What Is Considered An Active Lifestyle?

active lifestyleNow that you know you will benefit greatly when you start and maintain an active physical activity, the next question would be to know what is considered an active lifestyle. How would you know if your workouts could qualify as such?

The truth is, doing any activity can always stand out better than not doing anything at all. When you stayed passive or sprawled on the couch all day, starting any type of workout or activity (and sticking to it) can definitely count as an active lifestyle.

 

Aerobic Activities

With or without home gym equipment, physical activities like cardio exercises can burn calories, improve your heart and lung function, and help you lose weight. Say no to a sedentary lifestyle! Walking, running, rowing, bicycling, swimming, and even dancing are examples of physical activity routines that can up your heartbeat, use energy, release endorphins, and make you lose weight!

How long and how often: If opting for mild to moderate exercises, target a 2 to 5-hour goal each week. Start with 30 minutes daily, then up your cardio workouts to spending an hour doing aerobic exercises.

If you choose to have a dynamic workout more, limit yourself to about 1 to 3 hours weekly. Doing more may exhaust your muscles and cause you to develop strains, sprains, and cramps which may lead to the inability to sustain your active lifestyle.

 

Weight or Strength Training

On top of doing cardio exercises, you may also want to add weight lifting or strength conditioning routines to tone and develop your muscles, bones, and joints. Aside from using dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and much other bulky weight and strengthening machines, you can also use regular things you see at home. You cannot stay at home, living a sedentary lifestyle alone. Jugs of milk, ropes, cans of paint, water bottles, and other things that you can carry with one or both hands can do the job well.

How long and how often: As a beginner gym user, you can do 1 to 2 sets a day for each workout routine. As time passes, you can increase the repetition for each set or lessen the intervals of each to maximize your time and effort.

 

What changes can I make to have a better active lifestyle?

Set your goals

Know what you want to achieve when planning on pushing yourself to exercise or work out, having a goal makes your efforts feasible, inspiring and motivating you to aim higher and sustaining your life changes.

Adjust your usual routines

This may sound ineffective at first, but if done continuously, you may reap the benefits in the long run. Going for some errands? If the store’s nearby, walk. If you need to take the car, park away from the mall or store and walk. Use your home gym equipment like a treadmill, elliptical machine, or stationary bike while watching TV. Manufacturers also designed under-the-desk compact exercise machines that let you work on your lower extremities while working in front of a computer.

Count your steps

Get a pedometer or a budget-friendly fitness tracker to monitor your movements, this way, you may see how many activities you did for the day, how many calories you burned, and your overall performance for the week. The results may push you and inspire you to keep up or to improve your activities.

Find a fitness buddy

staying fit and activeThis may help or not, depending on your preference. Taking a walk with a dog or a loved one may make the whole experience worthwhile and exciting. Getting bored can make you give up and stop working out. If you have someone who pushes you and motivates you to exercise on a daily basis, as well as does the workout routines with you, you can make the activities and moments valuable and precious.

 

You have the right to plan and decide how you would care for your health and well-being. Staying active ad performing your exercises should coincide with your true health conditions. If your health is compromised, you should discuss with your doctor all your planned strategies in achieving an active lifestyle while following treatment options with your healthcare providers. This can help you decide what care you want to receive.

 

References:

March 2021. Benefits of an Active Lifestyle.

https://www.drugs.com/cg/benefits-of-an-active-lifestyle.html

Cohut M. (April 2018. How active are you, really?

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321485

Petrie, T. (February 2020). What are Sedentary, Moderate & High Activity Exercise Levels?

https://www.livestrong.com/article/401892-what-are-sedentary-moderate-high-activity-exercise-levels/

Scott, J. (December 2020). Health Benefits of Each Physical Activity Level.

https://www.verywellfit.com/health-benefits-of-different-physical-activity-levels-3496010

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