Spring is here and it’s a great time of year to start fresh with new healthy habits. Regular exercise is great for health and can help prevent many chronic diseases, assist with weight loss and even help improve mood.
If it’s been a while since you were active, remember to ease into any new activity or exercise program. Give yourself time to warm up and stretch before and after activities to reduce soreness and possible injury. If it’s been a really long time since you were last active, check with your physician before starting a new exercise program.
Get Out and Get Active
Even if you aren’t planning to start an intense exercise program, spring is still a great time to be more active. Here are four activities to increase your movement as the temperatures rise.
- Plan a walk in the park or a hike in the woods to check out the spring scenery.
- Gardening and yard work count for activities, too. Starting an herb or veggie garden can be a nice way to stay active.
- Don’t forget spring cleaning — organizing, vacuuming, dusting and sorting all count toward your total activity.
- Play! Getting outside with family, friends and pets not only is fun, it gets your loved ones active, too.
After a long winter, spring weather makes it easier to find motivation for being active. Making movement fun helps you to stick with it. Remember that all activity counts!