Maintaining a Healthy Body

Daily activity. It's the key to keeping your body running smoothly and efficiently. Without activity, your body becomes sluggish and more prone to illness and injury. That's why it's important to make exercise a part of your lifestyle. Your goal should be some type of exercise every day, or at the very least, three to four times a week. Try to do some kind of aerobic activity that requires continuous physical activity without stopping for at least 20 to 30 minutes each time. Do the activity as often as possible, but do not exercise to the point of pain because this can lead to injury.

Besides the physical and mental health benefits, regular physical activity can also help increase self-confidence, offer the opportunity to learn new skills and meet people with similar interests.

It may help to plan a physical activity as a family. Most people find that it is more fun to exercise with someone else. More importantly, though, is that everyone likes the exercise or activity. Everyone is more apt to stay in the habit of doing whatever activity they choose if it is one that they enjoy.

Try to pick a "life sport" that you or your family enjoy. Unlike a competitive team sport like football or baseball, a life sport is any kind of physical exercise or activity that you can do throughout your life. Examples of life sports are:

• Swimming
  
• Golf
  
• Bicycling
  
• Jogging
  
• Tennis
  
• Walking
  
• Skating

Regular exercise should include aerobic activity. Aerobic activity is continuous and it makes you breathe harder and increases your heart rate. This type of exercise increases your fitness level and makes your heart and lungs work more efficiently. It also helps to maintain a normal weight by burning off excess fat. Examples of aerobic activities are brisk walking, basketball, bicycling, swimming, in-line or ice skating, soccer, jogging, and taking an aerobics or step class.

Any type of regular, physical activity is good for your body. Household chores, such as mowing the lawn, vacuuming, or scrubbing, involve exercise and may have fitness benefits, depending on how vigorously you do the chores. Just about any physical activity will improve fitness. For example, walking is better than riding in a car, and using the stairs is better than taking an elevator. Making small changes like these in your everyday life can make you and your family more physically fit.

(©)Copyright 2000 American Academy of Pediatrics