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Do you live a sedentary lifestyle? Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, are you one to make a conscious effort to stay active?
Based on the National Population Health Survey 2019, the Ministry of Health(MOH) reported that 19.9% of Singaporeans, aged 18 to 74, have insufficient total physical activity. This is alarming as physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality (accounting for 6% of deaths globally), according to the World Health Organisation.
Besides watching what we eat, to maintain good health, we have to get active as well. However, in this fast-paced world, many of us may view physical activity as an arduous task, and hence may not make time for it.
In today's post, we discuss the what, why and how of being physically active – Hope this convinces you that getting active is actually pretty manageable!
What does it mean to be physically active?
Being physically active means doing any activity that gets your body moving, which includes daily activities (such as taking the stairs or walking to school) or recreational activities (such as jogging, swimming, racket games etc.)
However, just doing the bare minimum amount of moving won't be enough. To benefit our health, we have to engage in aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activity.
Aerobic activity
Examples: Brisk walking🚶♂️, jogging🏃♀️, swimming 🏊♀️
Exercise that makes your heart beat faster and breathe harder over a prolonged period of time (as our muscles need more oxygen to work)
It improves the fitness of our heart and lungs, as well as our endurance
Muscle-strengthening activity
Examples: Push ups, Pull ups, Sit-ups, Weight training🏋️♂️
Exercise that work different major muscle groups in our legs, hip, back, abdomen, shoulder and arms
Makes our muscles stronger and more resilient
Reduces the risk of injury to our body
For us to gain substantial health benefits, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) recommends us to aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.
Moderate-intensity activity refers to exercise that gets your heart rate at 64% to 75% of its maximum rate!
That means, to achieve the recommended 150 minutes, we can choose to:
engage in 30 minutes of physical activity for 5 days or
50 to 60 minutes of physical activity for 3 days
and the power is in your hands to decide your exercise routine!
Why should I be physically active?
Now that you know what it means to be physically active, here are some benefits of being active to help you understand how exercise is worth your time!
1) It helps you manage your weight
When we exercise, the fat in our body will be used up for energy, allowing us to burn calories we have consumed (the more we exercise, the more calories we burn!) This helps us to lose weight by getting rid of excess fat, which includes fats clogging our arteries and heart – reducing the risks of obesity and cardiovascular diseases!
Besides that, if we often carry out aerobic activity regularly, our body is able to burn fat more efficiently as aerobic activity uses fat as a primary source of fuel and increases our number of red blood cells thus helping in the circulation of oxygen in our body.
2) It helps you keep all parts of your body healthy
By being physically active, the blood circulation in our heart and lungs will be improved. It also helps to strengthen out heart muscles, which boosts us with energy to do what we enjoy.
If you carry out muscle-strengthening activity, your major muscle groups will surely be strengthened (as the name says😅) and they will be more resilient, helping you in your daily mobility.
Not only that, getting active will also increase your bone density and this helps to prevent osteoporosis in the future!
3) It will make you happy! 😄
Although you may dread getting up and moving around, exercising actually makes you feel great after!
When we exercise, our body releases endorphins, which are "feel-good" chemicals that uplift our mood and reduce our feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. Thus, the more we exercise, it can help to improve our emotional and psychological wellbeing.
How do I get physically active?
With the knowledge we've gained, how can we start getting active?
If you are one who's just getting started, you can set short-term goals that keep you focused and motivated. Try finding a physical activity that you enjoy and start small, start slow.
(For example, if you're a fan of doing TikTok dances😉, why not try dancing or zumba as an exercise!🕺)
You can aim to engage in that physical activity that you like for 10 minutes a day for 3 times a week to get yourself started. Then overtime, try to build up the intensity and duration of that activity!
Attached below is HPB's recommendation on how you can adopt an active lifestyle, with their 3x3 Physical Activity Type Domain Grid! Besides aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, it also includes lifestyle activities which can be part of your physical activity!
If you want to try HPB's grid out, download it (by clicking on the tab below) and design your own routine with activities that fit your lifestyle best!
There are so many different types of exercises you can do, so try them out to see what you like! You can also click the button below to find out HPB's recommendations on exercises that can help prevent chronic illnesses!
If you are one who exercises regularly and want to challenge yourself with out of the norm exercises, click below for fun workouts that can engage you!
A slight reminder that safety is important, so practise caution when you exercise! If you're new to exercising and want to start an exercise regime, you should also consult your doctor too!
Conclusion
With more understanding on the what, why and how of physical activity, we hope that you're now more motivated to get physically active!
With the benefits of exercises, we can ensure that together with a balanced diet, we can ensure our body stays healthy in the long run, by reducing our risks of chronic illnesses (which actually helps us save time and money when we're older!)
We'll be giving our suggestions that you can try out in the upcoming week so remember to stay tuned! You can also click below for HPB's Stay Well to Stay Strong programme, where they also provide activities you can do to Stay Active!
Now, get moving, and don't forget to have fun!
Sources
Health Promotion Board, 2021. Aim for 150 Minutes of Physical Activity Every Week. [Online] Available at: https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/386/150minutes [Accessed 26 June 2021].
Health Promotion Board, 2021. How Much Exercise Is Enough for a Healthier You. [Online] Available at: https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/21/get_active_lifestyle_guide [Accessed 26 June 2021].
Health Promotion Board, 2021. Why You Should Exercise and Get Your Heart Pumping!. [Online] Available at: https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1764/get-your-heart-pumping [Accessed 26 June 2021].
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