Exercise and Nature

There are many small opportunities for movement in everyday life. You can incorporate movement into short bursts throughout the day, and every bit of movement helps reduce sedentary time.

• Stand up during every TV commercial break and walk a lap around the house.
• Use cleaning as exercise: wipe, sweep, or organise things around the house.
• Take a short walk around the house or block when taking out the trash or fetching the mail.
• When grocery shopping in a large store, you’ll accumulate extra steps without even noticing.
• Park your car in the farthest parking spot.
• Invite a friend for a walk or to join you on a dog walk.
• Share your best everyday exercise tips with a friend (or on social media) and challenge others to join in.

Active commuting is an effective way to promote wellbeing. By cycling, running, or walking to work even just one day a week, or for example during the summer season, you can gain significant health benefits: improved endurance and muscle strength, easier weight management, a refreshed mind, increased energy, achievement of physical activity recommendations, and reduced sitting time.

Improving your fitness is based on three key principles: regularity, variety, and increasing intensity.

1. Regularity: The effects of exercise don’t store up, so maintain consistency. Start by reducing sedentary time.
2. Variety: Variety keeps you motivated and ensures balanced physical exertion. Everything counts: yard work, commuting by bike, break exercise, playing with children or pets, or stretching in front of the TV.
3. Increasing intensity: When exercise starts to feel easier, challenge yourself by increasing distance, speed, or frequency. Fitness improves when exercise makes you sweat and breathe harder.

Remember, there is no right or wrong way to start exercising. Just begin in a simple way that suits you. The most important thing is to get moving!

• At least 60 minutes of varied, moderate to vigorous physical activity per day, in an age-appropriate manner.
• Avoid excessive and prolonged sedentary behaviour.

• Ensure adequate restorative sleep.
• Take breaks from sitting whenever possible.
• Engage in light physical movement as often as possible.
• At least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week (for health benefits) or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week (to improve fitness).
• Incorporate strength training and movement control exercises at least twice a week to support functional capacity.

• Engage in light physical movement, cardiovascular activity, and exercises to improve strength, balance, and flexibility in a well-rounded way.

• Tailored recommendations based on functional capacity.

Adapted exercise guidelines are intended for adults with reduced physical capacity due to illness or disability, or those who require mobility aids such as canes, walkers, or wheelchairs. Healthcare and fitness professionals can assist in finding suitable exercise methods and mobility aids.

1. Engage in regular and varied physical activity.
2. Wear proper footwear.
3. Use anti-slip devices on shoes in icy conditions.
4. Ensure home safety.
5. Check the safety of your yard and surrounding environments.
6. Eat and drink nutritiously and regularly.
7. Ensure adequate vitamin D intake.
8. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption.
9. Take care of your overall health.
10. Ensure that your medication is up to date.

Muscle strength, balance, and mobility training are highly effective in preventing falls.

Balance is required for everyday tasks such as standing in line, rising from a chair, or recovering from a stumble. Both strength and balance decline with age, but regular exercise can slow this process.

Balance training should be diverse. Good exercises include weight shifts, step sequences, walking in different directions, rotations and turning movements, and reaching and lifting objects. For added challenge, try performing movements on a soft surface or with eyes closed.

Having good muscle strength makes walking up stairs and standing up from a chair easier. In sudden situations, such as a stumble, strong muscles help take a corrective step to prevent a fall. Maintaining muscle strength also supports better posture.

The most important muscle groups to strengthen are in the legs. Effective exercises include standing up from a chair, squats, standing on tiptoes, leg extensions to the back and side, and knee extensions and bends. For additional intensity, use ankle weights or resistance bands. The most effective way to build strength is through gym workouts with progressive resistance training.

Perform strength and balance exercises 2–3 times a week!