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Becoming more physically active is easier than you think! Start slowly by adding physical activities that you enjoy into your daily routine and build your way up to 30-60 minutes of moderate activity each day.
Choose a variety of activities from these 3 groups:
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Continuous activities that elevate heart rate and cause you to be ‘out of breath’.
- Running
- Swimming/Water Aerobics
- Cycling/Wheeling
Physical activity that produces an impact or tension force on the bones that promotes bone growth and strength.
- Hopping, skipping, jumping
- Tennis
- Heavy gardening
Physical activity that increases skeletal muscle strength, power, endurance and mass.
- Swinging on playground equipment/bars
- Sit-ups/Push-ups
- Strength classes
Starting slowly is very safe for most people. Not sure? Consult your health professional.
PRE-SCHOOLERS - Start early and get your toddlers moving
- Encourage your young kids to play.
- Provide a safe, nurturing and minimally structured play environment.
- Get your child to climb, swing and play at the local playground.
- Instead of using a pram or stroller, encourage your child to walk part of the way.Too wet or cold out? Turn up the music and have a dance party.
CHILDREN - Activities to try with your children
- Take a walk/wheel after supper - and make it an adventure
- Organize neighbourhood games to help children make active choices
- Dance, dance, dance
- Create a walking/wheeling school bus
- Pretend to slither like a snake and roll like a rolling pin down a small grassy slope
- Play thowing games - including having your child throw at a target as hard as they can
- Jump, make shapes in the air or jump to see how high or far you can go
- Join learn to swim programs
- Ride a tricycle, or a bike - with or without training wheels to develop dynamic balance
- Encourage unstructured play with their friends everyday
- Enroll your child in multi-sport programs or in a wide range of different activities
- Leave the car at home when going on short trips
- Have your child throw with their right and left hand
- Jump from one foot and from both
- Introduce your child to skates or skis so they can learn to slide
- Play catching games using a wide range of soft objects
YOUTH - Choose activities you think you might like
- Try unstructured physical play with your friends
- Enroll in minor sport programs each season—try different positions or events
- Play as many different sports as you can at school, during physical education classes, intramurals or on school teams
- Try to participate in some land-based, water-based and snow/ice-based activities
- Take the dog for a walk Rake the leaves Work on your flexibility, speed, endurance and strength
- Play your favourite song and dance!
- Run or wheel to your friend’s house, the mall or school instead of getting a ride with mom or dad
- Look for interesting new activities to try—like yoga, Pilates, belly-dancing, martial arts, trampoline or break dancing
- Join a gym Keep sport and physical activity FUN
ADULTS - Make time to be physically active
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Focus on daily physical activity and not just “exercise!” Scrub, dig, shovel, walk, play ride or wheel through your day
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Join a gym, and keep it fresh by taking classes, like boxing, yoga, combat training or step
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Enter a charity walk
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Instead of turning on the TV after dinner, go for a walk with your partner, dog or children
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Take public transportation
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Use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator
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Take a break from work and go for a walk or wheel
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Join your local sport league—most leagues will offer a variety of sports and activities at both recreational and competitive levels
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Take swimming or aquatic classes
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Form a neighbourhood walking or wheeling group
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Go dancing!
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Move from competitive sport to volunteering as a coach, official or administrator
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Move from one aspect of sport to another—for instance, if you’re a middle distance runner or a cyclist, for try becoming a runner for visually impaired athletes or a tandem cyclist for the Paralympic Games
OLDER ADULTS - Maintain your health and independence as you age
- Build physical activity into your daily routine
- Do the activities you are doing now, more often
- Try out a class in your community
- Start slowly with easy stretching
- Find activities you enjoy and bring a friend to share in the fun!
- Move around more frequently
- If you’re sitting for a while, break up your routine with some movement
- Volunteer to be a coach, official or administrator
- Carry your groceries home
- Hire a fitness trainer to help develop an appropriate program for you and your friends
- Join an aquatics class
- Take dancing classes and try different genres
- Take up gardening
- Volunteer at a local pet shelter and take the dogs for a walk
- Go for a day hike with a group