Physical Activity

A recent study has estimated that globally, 5.3 million people a year are estimated to die from inactivity. More than 56% of Australian adults (a whopping 9.5 million) are either inactive or have low levels of physical activity. Physical inactivity is the second greatest contributor (behind smoking) to the cancer burden in Australia. The good news is, that it is not too late to start getting more active!

Getting more active doesn’t mean you have to start running marathons or join a gym. Physical activity is defined as any activity that gets your body moving and increases your breathing rate and heart rate. This could be as simple as walking the dog a bit faster or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

The benefits of increasing your physical activity are nothing short of miraculous. Moving more and sitting less will

• Reduce your risk of, or help manage, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes

• Maintain and/or improve your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels

• Reduce your risk of, and assist with rehabilitation from, some cancers

• Help prevent unhealthy weight gain

• Build strong muscles and bones

• Help prevent and manage mental health problems

• Create opportunities for socialising

• Help develop and maintain overall wellbeing

The Australian Government recommends that adults should do at least 150 minutes

(2 ½ hours) of moderate intensity exercise per week (or 75 minutes of vigorous

intensity exercise). 

Some examples of moderate intensity activities include

• A brisk walk

• Recreational swimming

• Dancing

• Social tennis

• Golf

• Some household tasks (like cleaning windows or raking leaves)

• Pushing a stroller

Some examples of vigorous intensity activities

• Jogging

• Fast cycling

• Most organised sports

• Tasks that involve carrying, lifting or digging

• Just think anything that gets you ‘puffed’

These guidelines also recommend including muscle strengthening activities on at

least 2 days each week.

Getting active can be intimidating and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be!

So, where to get started?

Joining a gym or running club is just not for everyone and there are so many

other ways to incorporate more physical activity into your already jam-packed lives.

Try out as many different types of physical activity as possible, to find what you enjoy.

Despite what you try and convince yourself, if you don’t enjoy something, it probably

won’t be a sustainable behaviour! There are endless opportunities for physical activity,

you just have to try a few things and find what you like!

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A few ideas include

• Meeting up with friends for a walk instead of a coffee

• Joining a sports team

• Parking your car a bit further away

• The GreenWay park run at Haberfield!  

       Park Run is an organised 5km run each Saturday morning, there are many all around Sydney. It is just you against the clock and the best part is that

       its free! You can walk, run or a combination of both! So why not get a group of friends together and give it a crack in a super friendly, inclusive   

       environment! You need to register and print off your codes and thats it! https://www.parkrun.com.au/ 

THE BOTTOM LINE: any physical activity is better than none and more is better than some!