Fun Ways to Get Moving
Just getting started?
This website covers a range of ideas, activities and information on being active. Not all of it will be suited to you. It will depend on how active you are, what your interests are and what you are able to do. But there is something for everyone.
If you are just getting started, begin slowly with an activity that suits and interests you and try to build up to 30 minutes a day. From there, build it up to an hour or more a day. This website will give you hints and tips on what sort of activities to try, how much to do and how hard. Just remember any physical activity is better than none, and more is better than some.
Being active doesn't have to be hard or boring. In fact, it makes you feel good and you get to have more fun with your friends and family. And there are lots of fun ways to be active...
You can walk the dog, ride your bike, do some skipping, play hula-hoops or even make up your own obstacle course… use your imagination! Try to mix it up a bit to keep it fun and interesting. That way, you'll also get good at different things!
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Activities you can do
- Physical games (e.g. ‘Stuck in the Mud')
- Getting around (e.g. walking, bike riding and skateboarding)
- School or family activities
- Dancing
- Sports
Try something new
While you're at it, why not give something you've never done before a go? Here are some fun examples you might want to try:
- Take your own or your neighbour's dog for a walk.
- Learn a new skill – skating, skipping, surfing, bike riding, frisbee or snorkelling… can you do all of them?
- Try a new sport with friends or family… ever tried volleyball? soccer?
- Take a gymnastics or martial arts class.
- Learn a dance-style, like hip-hop.
- Check out the activities at your local recreation centre, club or youth centre.
How much should you do?
It's best to do an hour or more of physical activity every day, especially some that makes you huff and puff a bit. This is easier than it sounds as you can spread out that hour over the whole day. And it can be made up from a mix of different activities.Get the balance right
If you're not very active at the moment, start off gradually with activities like brisk walking or bike riding and build up to 30 minutes a day. Once you can manage that, try to build your time up gradually to 60 minutes or more. Also, try to do a mix of moderate and vigorous activity.
Moderate Activities
These activities won't leave you huffing and puffing, but they are not slow either! This could include a whole range of activities such as:- Fast walking
- Riding a bike
- Kicking a ball
- Dancing (dancing could be moderate or vigorous)
- Skateboarding
Vigorous Activities
These are activities which take more effort and leave you huffing and puffing. Try to do 20 minutes of these kind of activities 3 or 4 times a week. For example:
- Football/Soccer
- Skipping
- Netball
- Running
- Swimming laps (swimming could be moderate or vigorous)
Remember to eat well too
Healthy eating is just as important as being active. The more healthy foods you eat, the more energy and strength you have to take on your activities. A healthy and active body also needs plenty of water so remember to drink plenty of water every day - your body needs it!Healthy foods give our bodies the fuel they need to:
- grow big and strong
- repair themselves
- keep us healthy
Which foods are healthy?
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating tells you everything you need to know about which kinds of food you need each day and how much of each. | You should eat plenty of foods from the ‘Bread and Cereal' group and from the ‘Vegetable and Legume' group, as well as some foods from the ‘Fruit', ‘Dairy' and ‘Meat' groups. Chips, chocolate, cakes, lollies and soft-drink may taste good but they aren't good for your body. You should try not to eat them too much. |