Getting up and being active is a great way to feel great!
It’s recommended that adults get 5 x 30 mins of exercise every week. That may sound a lot but things like walking to the shops or washing the car all count.
This can be broken down in to smaller chunks, so even getting up and going for a quick 10 minute walk in your lunch break counts as exercise.
It’s important to find something you like doing. Swimming, cycling, exercise classes or walking with friends all count towards your 150 minutes. It’s never too late to start exercising and you don’t need to join a gym. Find local activities by visiting our What’s On Locally pages.
It’s important to spend time doing strength exercises too. These work the major muscles of your body. Muscle strength is really important as it helps maintain your daily movement, keeps your bones strong and helps to regulate your blood sugar and blood pressure.
Examples of muscle-strengthening activities include:
- lifting weights,
- stretching (so things like yoga and pilates count)
- heavy gardening, such as digging and shovelling
- climbing stairs
There’s some videos you can watch to do some exercises at home. You can also download some great free Apps on your phone to help you achieve your fitness goals.
Active 10 quickly and simply shows you how many brisk ten minute walks you’re doing and how to fit in more into your day.
Couch to 5k has been designed for people who are complete beginners at jogging. There are step by step instructions over a 9 week period to help get you off the couch and running 5k.
Still not sure what activity to get involved in?
As well as our What’s on locally pages, you can find loads of information about what’s going on in Sandwell in our leisure centres, parks and events by visiting Discover Sandwell or the Active Black Country pages.
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