There is a famous adage that says laziness begets laziness. Every time you skip doing something, you are reminded of this simple fact. Yet, sometimes you are not even lazy. You are just tired, unmotivated, or worse, unaware of how to have an active lifestyle that leads to better health.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 80% of individuals do not fulfill the recommended standards for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. As a result, many are at a high risk of illnesses such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol levels. Yet, those who manage to escape these illnesses suffer from reduced mobility and body strength.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also recommends getting at least 150 minutes of physical activities every week. Although this may appear daunting to some, the good news is that you only need to set aside 30 minutes daily for five days a week. What advantages can you get from leading an active lifestyle? Below are the various ways in which you can benefit from integrating regular physical activity into your lifestyle.

Benefits of Leading an Active Lifestyle

An active lifestyle is a healthy lifestyle. It is a way of life that involves regular physical activity. Contemplating how to have an active lifestyle can help you enjoy several personal and health benefits, some of which are highlighted below.

Improved Physical Health: physical activities can be a good way to have and maintain a healthy lifestyle. You not only get to boost your muscle strength but also reduce body fat and boost your endurance.

Decreased Risk of Chronic Illnesses: Leading an active lifestyle can reduce the risk of diseases by improving your heart and lung function, increasing your blood circulation, and controlling your body weight. Consequently, you become free of diseases like stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Improves Quality of Life: Staying active reduces stress levels, increases your energy, and boosts your self-esteem. As such, you become more confident and feel good about yourself in social settings.

Better Mental Health: Being physically active can also be a good way to reduce anxiety and depression. When you exercise, you release endorphins which boost your mind and improve your mood. This leads to improved sleep quality and better mental health

Improved Lifespan: Regularly physical activities improve your muscle mass, mental health, cardiovascular health, and increases your bone density. Consequently, you are less likely to suffer from conditions that reduce your lifespan and are thus able to live longer.

Tips on How to Have an Active Lifestyle

If you are an adult or young person wondering how to have an active lifestyle, you can engage in plenty of activities to have a better-quality life. Below are some activities you can consider:

Home Maintenance Activities

Mow Your Lawn: Franklin Institute recommends lawn mowing as a way of working out your entire body and boosting your heart health. Senior adults looking for how to have an active lifestyle can consider this activity, as the act of pushing your lawn mower in itself is a good type of cardiovascular workout. Therefore, as you look for a lawn care program to improve the condition of both your soil and lawn, consider this activity as a means to improve your health.

Clean Your Home: Cleaning your house can be a good physical activity since you have to move around often and lift items. For instance, the simple act of vacuuming your house can require you to drag around the heavy vacuum machine, which engages various muscles in your body. Alternatively, you can decide to declutter your driveway or roof by engaging in activities such as pruning and tree trimming, which requires you to climb and stretch your body.

Clean Your Car: If a simple activity like walking is considered light aerobics, then cleaning your car is also an exercise that can help you stay active. Cleaning your car requires a lot of bending and other movements that improve your lower-body muscles. Also, deciding to vacuum your car can be a great way to work your shoulder and legs and improve your cardiovascular conditioning.

Offer Maintenance Services: Another way to have an active lifestyle is by offering services to others. People can sometimes be busy and lack time to conduct home maintenance activities. Offering, for instance, lawn mowing, carpet cleaning, and garden sprinkler services can be a good way to keep yourself busy and earn extra money. You can even go further and snowplow people’s driveways or roads during the winter seasons.

Walk Often

If you are looking for recommendations on how to have an active lifestyle, you can start by taking a walk. Walking is a low-impact and easy exercise that does not require specialized skills or facilities. Briskly walking for at least five to thirty minutes daily can improve your cardiovascular health and strengthen your bones. It is one of the cheapest and easy to maintain physical activities for an active lifestyle.

You can engage in this activity by starting with short scheduled walks around your neighborhood. Then, gradually increase the distance, speed, and number of steps you walk. The American Heart Association advises walking for about five miles or 10,000 steps a day for better results.

To integrate walking into your routine and make it more interesting, tag along a family member or friend. Additionally, you can carry your favorite beverage to drink or listen to some bouncy tunes while at it. Also, avoid using the elevator when you can take the stairs

Walking has numerous benefits to your health. By walking, you burn calories and lose excess weight. It improves your mental health by reducing stress and decluttering your mind to help you think more clearly. Most important, however, is that walking strengthens your bones, improves your blood flow, and reduces the risk of developing diseases such as obesity, stroke, and heart disease.

Get a Dog

Another tip on how to have an active lifestyle is to get yourself a dog. A dog can be a great way to motivate yourself to become physically active. Dogs need to be walked, which can be an excellent opportunity for you to get outside and take a brisk walk. If you have a puppy, It would be best to enroll it in a puppy class for dog training. This way, you can also learn how to communicate with your dog and get it to work with you better.

However, if you do not have a dog, you can join your friend in walking their dog or ask them to allow you to take it for a walk. Alternatively, you can go to an animal shelter and volunteer to walk dogs. Scheduling a 20-minute dog walk can be a good form of exercise for you and your dog, as doing so can help you be accountable for achieving your daily goal of taking a walk.

Workout Regularly

There is no better practical advice on how to have an active lifestyle than doing regular workouts. Workouts can be as light as squeezing in a little stretch and pushups while watching T.V. or be as intense as engaging in high-intensity interval training. Either way, it is important that you make time for it by scheduling it in your routine. In your planning, you could make as little as 5 minutes or even go for hours, depending on your capability.

There are various workout routines that you can adopt into your routine regardless of your age and condition. For instance, if you are a young person looking to gain some muscles, enrolling in a gym can be a good way to keep yourself active. On the same note, if you are an adult with a busy schedule that does not allow for a workout, cycling your way to work or going for a morning run can help you stay active all day.

However, if your body cannot handle intense workouts for some reason, you can consider light workouts like yoga. Yoga can be beneficial for your body and mind. It can improve your flexibility, balance, and strength, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. By flexing your body slowly and breathing deeply, you build strength and increase your blood flow. Like other forms of workouts, yoga can also help you stay strong and fit and prevent you from having back pains and other illnesses resulting from being inactive.

Try Gardening

If you spend more time at home and are considering how to have an active lifestyle, you can give gardening a try. Although seeming like a low-intense physical activity, gardening can be more engaging than walking or cleaning. The process involves much walking, stretching, bending, and other great forms of exercise that can benefit your body. For instance, you may need to lift or move around heavy garden equipment that requires your energy.

Gardening can be a good way for senior adults to use their time effectively at home. It does not necessarily have to be a complex activity. You can start small and gradually improve as you get acquainted with it. You can begin by making a kitchen garden where you can plant flowers, small plants, and even food.

As you enjoy seeing your small seedlings come to life, you also burn calories by engaging in activities such as digging, bending, weeding, and watering. Additionally, gardening improves your health because it helps relieve stress and exposes you to sunlight which gives vitamin D.

Go Fishing

If you live next to a river, lake, or water body, fishing can be a good way to have an active lifestyle. It is a moderate form of exercise that you can enjoy regardless of your age and abilities. Fishing helps you stay active because it requires you to use energy to cast nets and move your boat around. Besides keeping you fit, it has numerous other benefits like improving your focus, lowering your blood pressure, and exposing you to vitamin D from sunlight.

If you are considering fishing, you can begin by getting one of the used boats at an affordable price or hiring one from boat rentals. Next, find the right equipment and a good spot for fishing and set yourself up for the process. Fishing is a physical and mental exercise, so you must also engage your body and mind.

Go Out Often

Having an active lifestyle can be as simple as getting out of the house and hanging out with family members or friends. Going out can help you live an active lifestyle in various ways. For instance, you can visit local attractions close to your place and enjoy fun activities with friends such as hiking, rock climbing, and ziplining.

Activities you engage with friends and family while out are mostly physical. Going for a hike or mountain climbing with friends can be a good way to enjoy nature and burn calories. It can also improve your social life and help you bond better with friends and family. On the other hand, dancing with friends can be an excellent stress reliever and a way to boost your endorphin levels. By doing this, you get to feel happier and burn many calories in the process.

Conclusion

With that said, you have no excuse for not integrating physical activities into your life. Leading an active lifestyle can have countless benefits, including better health, improved quality of life, and prevention of chronic illnesses. As discussed above, you do not necessarily have to engage in high-intensity activities to be active. As an alternative, you can integrate various moderate to low-intensity activities into your routine to help you be active regardless of your age, situation, or availability. If you need more tips on how to have an active lifestyle, call us today.