Keeping Active
February News 2015
Top 5 secrets to keeping active
Are We Sitting Ducks? Today’s lifestyles are incredibly sedentary with more people working behind desk all day, driving to work and sitting on the couch. This trend has had a big impact on health related issues that are linked to sitting too much and not getting enough physical activity.The numbers don’t lie According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australians are leading more sedentary lifestyles. The statistics have increased over time from 34% in 2004-05 to 41% in 2011-12. Adults are taking less steps than children with an average of 7,400 steps per day. The standard recommendation is to get 10,000 steps per day and less than one in five adults (19%) recorded 10,000 per day on average.Top 5 secrets to becoming more active Although most Australians have some idea of what makes up a healthy lifestyle, the population is more overweight than ever. There is a clear gap between what we know about health and how we act. This does not mean that Australians are lazy. Studies of people who participate in regular exercise show that the secrets to consistently incorporating physical activity or exercise into your lifestyle are:
- planning;
- enjoyment;
- internal motivation;
- a conducive environment; and
- exercising with others.