Physical Activity
Tips to Get Active
It’s time to move! Don’t just think active—be active.
Physical Activity Tips for Youth (12-17 years)
Be active - At home, at school, at play - Inside or outside - With family and friends
Here’s the deal: You want to have lots of energy? Feel healthy and strong? Feel good about yourself? Just move!
Combining aerobic and strengthening activities will improve your health and well-being.
- Aerobic activities make you breathe deeper, and your heart beat faster.
- Get stronger by doing activities that build muscles and bones at least three days a week.
- Do at least an hour every day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity. Choose vigorous activities at least three days a week.
Adding more physical activity to your day improves your health, and it’s fun.
Move more to
- improve your fitness
- build stronger bones and muscles
- improve your posture and balance
- have a strong heart
- help with healthy growth and development
- improve your self-esteem
- increase your concentration
- do better at school
- reduce your stress
- improve your mental health
- meet new friends and hang out with old ones!
What is moderate to vigorous activity?
- Moderate-intensity activity will make you breathe harder and your heart beat faster.
- Vigorous-intensity activity will make you breathe so hard, you won't be able to say more than a few words without needing to catch your breath.
What are strengthening activities?
- Muscle-strengthening activities build up your muscles. Examples of muscle-strengthening activities include doing push-ups and sit-ups, lifting weights, climbing stairs and riding a bike.
- With bone-strengthening activities, your muscles push against your bones, helping make your bones strong. Examples of bone-strengthening activities include running, walking, yoga and jumping rope.
What activities you choose to do is up to you. Here are some tips to get you moving:
- Walk, run or bike instead of getting a ride – to school, the mall, your friend’s house.
- Find something you enjoy -- run, jump, swim, skateboard, snowboard, ski, skate, toboggan.
- Take yoga, hip-hop, or aerobics classes.
- Try indoor rock climbing, play soccer, ride a bike.
- Take the dog for a walk.
- Dance to your favourite music.
- Rake the leaves, shovel snow, carry the groceries home.
- Join a team at your school.
Choose activities you like or be creative and try something new.
Are you up for the challenge?
- Set physical activity goals with your friends and your family.
- Ask your parents to sign you up for a class you like or want to try.
- Try something new, exciting, difficult or challenging.
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