Tips for being active

We know we should be active on most, preferably all, days of the week. But sometimes life gets in the way and finding the time and motivation can be overwhelming.

Remember, some is better than none.

Doing any physical activity is better than doing none. If you currently do no physical activity, start with a 10 minute walk, and gradually build up to the recommended amount.

Here are some more tips and ideas to get you moving:

Wellbeing SA, supported by COTA SA, Exercise & Sports Science Australia, The City of Unley - Daily Moves and Wellbeing@Work have developed some videos that focus on:

• Movement skills for pre-schoolers, children and teenagers
• Fun and easy to follow dance routines for pre-schoolers and children
• Yoga for children, teenagers and adults
• High Intensity Interval Training for beginners
• Strength, Mobility and Balance for beginners
• How to use outdoor exercise equipment for teenagers, adults and older adults
• Strength for Life activities for people over 50 years and over 40 years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

Walking is a great way to stay active every day and is an instant mood booster, and where possible enjoy some time in nature. You could walk instead of taking the car for short trips to places such as work, school or the supermarket. For longer trips you could access one of the public transport apps available and combine walking with a tram, train or bus ride.

To support more walking in your day you could:

• register with the 10,000 Steps Program - set yourself a daily step goal and start tracking
• explore Walking SA's ‘Find a Place to Walk’ to discover new places to explore and stay active
• join a local Heart Foundation walking group

Leave the car at home and use your bike to get to places such as work, school and the supermarket. Getting on your bike is also a great way of exploring your local area. Visit Cycling Instead to plan your journey or visit Cycling Trails SA to plan your next adventure.

A great way to be physically active when at home is by accessing the many free instructional videos on platforms such as YouTube. Check out our Staying Active videos.

The Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing website has a range of activities to explore, including:

• videos and other resources for children, adults and seniors, that are accessible and that are sport specific or for general fitness
• ways of exploring green space in your local area
• engaging with your local sporting clubs

Being creative can help make physical activity more fun and can get the whole family involved:

• Set up your own obstacle course or circuit and see if you can beat the time it takes you to get through all the movements or activities. The Heart Foundation and Exercise Sports Science Australia have developed some great resources to get you started.

• Many of your favourite sports can be modified to play in your backyard or inside — think soccer or football with socks, basketball or netball using baskets or boxes or setting up specific training drills in a different way. The Office for Recreation Sport and Racing have some great sport specific activities that you can try at home.
• Set a household challenge, every hour someone has to pick a song for a living room dance-off.
• Use household items like milk cartons and cans to replace weights that you might use at the gym — what else can you find around the house?