Your health doesn’t have an off season, so as the temperatures drop don’t be tempted to hang up your exercise gear and hibernate – use the change in seasons as a chance to mix up your workouts and reignite your love of fitness.
It’s important to stay active all year round, as regular exercise helps you maintain a healthy body weight, improves energy levels and feelings of wellbeing and reduces your risk of chronic disease, including some cancers.
To help Queensland families get moving and stay healthy, Cancer Council Queensland CEO Ms Chris McMillan has shared five tips.
One, stick to your goals. Revisiting your goals and planning out what you’d like to accomplish over the next few months can help you get motivated and stay accountable. You could commit to an event, set a goal to achieve a certain amount of steps using a pedometer, or decide to take part in a Parkrun near you a certain amount of times.
Two, take up a winter sport or active hobby. Whether it’s an indoor pursuit, like heading to a squash court or heated pool, a boot camp class, or playing touch football or netball, there’s nothing like committing to a new class or sports team to keep you moving.
Three, don’t forget to warm up and cool down. Start stretching and do bodyweight exercises, like jumping jacks and push ups, as soon as you get up. You’ll get your heart rate going before heading out into the brisk weather and it will make it very difficult to go back to bed. Stretching post-workout is crucial—but particularly in the cold-weather to keep your body safe from injury.
Four, plan out wet weather options. On rainy days get some hand weights or stretch bands to use at home for resistance exercise, use an online exercise video or smartphone app to stay in shape. For families with kids, you can get creative with active play, setting up a treasure hunt in your home, or having a dance party in the lounge.
Five, embrace the outdoors. Layer up to make sure you are warm enough and head for a bike ride or go with the whole family for a hike on the weekend. Breathe in the fresh air and bring along water, a hot thermos and warm, wholesome snacks to keep you going. Don’t forget to slop on minimum SPF 30+ broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen, as sun protection is required all year round in Queensland, even in the cooler months.
Around one quarter of all cancers can be prevented through being physically active and eating a healthy diet, so it’s vital to plan in one hour of moderate activity or 30 minutes of vigorous activity into everyday life.
