Keeping fit: the basics
Thursday 1 January 2004
People take part in less physical activity than they used to, mainly because of the more convenient lifestyles we lead.
People at school can keep fit thanks to physical education classes, but it's recommended that people try and keep active outside of school and carry on throughout their life.
Exercise
In fact, it's recommend that people exercise or do some form of physical activity for 30 minutes at least five days a week.
The benefits of taking up regular exercise include:
- Fewer aches and pains
- Increased energy levels overall
- It can help reduce stress levels
- Exercise keeps organs, like your heart, healthy
- It burns off unnecessary fat in your body and keeps your weight down
- Exercise can help increase brain activity
As well as keeping you fit, taking part in team sports like football or rugby can have a positive effect on your social life.
Change your everyday habits
People with hardly any time on their hands can also keep fit by riding a bike or walking briskly instead of taking the bus, going to a gym, joining an aerobics class or going for a swim at their local leisure centre. Details of team events, sports clubs and exercise classes at leisure centres can normally be found on your local council's web site.
Diet
As well as exercising, it's also important to eat the right things. Eating the right foods can keep our organs healthy and even help keep our teeth and bones strong for later on in life.
What you eat now will also probably help shape your eating habits later on in life, so it's important to start as you mean to go on.
A question of balance
Maintaining a balanced diet is important for us all, but young people are a special case because their bodies grow rapidly during teenage years. For example, experts believe that starchy foods such as bread, rice, pasta and potatoes, help give young people and children the fuel they need to grow.
Convenience food and ready to eat meals have grown in popularity over the last few years as our lives become increasingly busier. But, despite helping us save on time, these foods are often high in salt, fat and sugar, so check the nutrition label.
Healthy eating
As a general guide to eating healthily, try to follow these suggestions:
- Eat lots of starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, rice or pasta
- Eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day
- Try to eat oily fish like salmon or mackerel once a week
- Eat lower fat versions of dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese
- Cut down on fatty foods
- Eat moderate amounts of red meat
- Try to cut down on salty foods such as snacks, preserved meats, stock cubes and packet soups
- Try to keep sugary sweets, desserts and drinks to meal times only so they are less damaging to teeth
