As the global pandemic continues, it can be difficult to do certain activities or be motivated to do these activities. Why is it so important to get out and stay active? What are the benefits of it? How can we do it?
All of these questions may have a large variety of answers but, first, one must understand what activity means. The World Health Organization defines physical activity as all movement no matter how intense the task is. This can open so many doors to everyone and give people different options on how they would like to stay active.
Many times when people hear physical activity they associate it with being fit or being able to run a mile, but that isn’t always the case. To be active, it does not mean that one has to be in top physical condition. It can simply mean that one is trying to keep themselves healthy and putting in some work to start bettering themselves and getting out of the “Covid slump”.
Physical activity can range across a number of different things and also benefits everyone differently. Physical activity can be anything from going for a walk to playing a sport. It can even be cycling or playing, as well. This varies between individuals as everyone enjoys different things. With the pandemic it has been hard for many people to go to gyms and or play on sports teams, so there are many recommendations to try out so that we aren’t losing out on these healthy key activities. It is recommended that we try to go outside and go for a walk. This allows you to get many benefits from the sun and simply from movement. At-home gyms have been a very good idea, as well.
There are so many crucial benefits across a wide range when it comes to exercise. There are many little things that exercise can help with and there are some major benefits as well. Some of these smaller benefits may be things just simply getting your daily exercise. This can lead to weight loss and control, and can even reduce some things such as heart disease. Being able to exercise and keep your mind busy can help with different mental obstacles you may be feeling and can even help with things such as quitting smoking.
Clearly, there are many reasons why COVID has been hard on all of us and why there are so many reasons now, more than before, why being active is so important. Everyone has the ability to take their health into their hands and make sure that they can feel these great feelings of being active.
Written by a Student from Memorial Composite High School
Sources:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/physical-activity#:~:text=Physical%20activity%20refers%20to%20all,and%20for%20enjoyment%20by%20everybody https://medlineplus.gov/benefitsofexercise.html