Set a consistent time to do physical activity every day to help you keep up with the fast-paced lifestyle that leads to increasing rates of obesity, heart disease, and other problems.

Why should you do physical activity?

Regular physical activity is good for everyone because it helps in:

• Reducing the risk of certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Lowering the blood cholesterol level
• Strengthening bones and muscles, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis
• Preventing injuries
• Increasing your mood and controlling feelings of anxiety
• Boosting your self-confidence
• Better sleeping pattern
• Reducing the risk of depression

It also helps patients with depression by blocking their negative thoughts.

Benefits for children

Regular physical exercise helps kids aged 6 to 13 develop their thinking and cognitive skills, as well as keep their minds sharp.

How do you start?

Small changes made throughout the day, such as walking or bicycling instead of driving, getting off the tram, train, or bus early and walking the rest of the way, or carrying the kids to school, can be a good start and lead to increases in daily activity.

When should you start?

Certainly, now is better than tomorrow. Even if you don’t perform any physical activity, start with some exercise and gradually increase the duration. However, you must first consult a doctor if you:

• Are over 45 years old
• Feel chest pain when doing any activity
• Feel faint
• Have difficulty breathing when engaging in moderate physical activity
• Are at risk of heart disease
• Have a heart disease
• Are pregnant

How much physical activity do you need?

Often you will need to exercise at least 30 minutes on most or all days to maintain your health and reduce your risk of health problems.

But always

• Stay active most days, preferably all week.
• Do muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week.