“If exercise could be packed into a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.” – Dr. Robert Butler
This is a great infographic from Ireland Active, summarising the ideal daily dose of physical activity we all should be achieving (from the “National Physical Activity Plan for Ireland 2017”).
Way back in 1985, Carl Caspersen and colleagues described physical activity and exercise:
This all means that you don’t have to play sport or be a “sporty” person to get in that optimal daily dose of physical activity. It is so easy to get into the habit of getting up in the morning, going to school/work, come home, do homework and/or watch TV, some nights go to an exercise class, have dinner, relax and go to bed. And repeat. We need to get more physical activity into our daily routine, not just when our instructor tells us to do another round of burpees! A healthy diet and eating well, good sleeping patterns and overall good well-being are also majorly important. Have you ever found that being more physically active helps you make better food choices and sleep better?
It is up to us to decide on the best way to be more physically active in our daily lives. If you don’t know were to start or are wary of more activity due to injury or pain, please contact you Chartered Physiotherapist.
References:
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