Physical activity pyramid: guidance for an active lifestyle

Exercise is good for you. Almost everyone knows that by now. But far too few still know how much and what kind of exercise and sport has a positive effect on their health. According to experts, a minimum of moderate-intensity exercise is necessary that promotes and maintains health.

Exercise recommended by experts

At least 30 minutes of exercise or sport a day is needed to have a positive effect on health. This is the current recommendation of exercise experts. For good reason, because the consequences of a lack of exercise lead in the long term to the already widespread typical disease patterns. In addition, many people find it difficult to be sufficiently active in their daily lives or in their leisure time and to motivate themselves in the long term.

However, exercise recommendations are not strict instructions that must be followed. On the contrary, they are primarily intended as a guide, because a healthy amount of exercise is easier to integrate into everyday life without overexerting oneself.

Exercise in everyday life

Everyday life is particularly well suited to physical activity, because many activities have to be done one way or another. So why not combine them with exercise? You can walk or cycle the distances you have to cover every day, even if you have to rely on the car or public transport. You can deliberately park the car one street ahead, get off the bus one stop early, and then walk the rest. Lunch breaks are ideal for going for a walk, and smaller purchases can be done by bike. Beginners and returners, in particular, benefit in the aggregate from these small building blocks of exercise.

The power of habit

For many, developing a personal exercise habit becomes a difficult matter of patience. It is therefore completely normal if you do not fully achieve the recommendations overnight. The reason for this is that lasting changes require a great deal of stamina from the individual. In addition to realistic goals, a good plan and support from friends and family are important. Remember that every step counts – even the smallest.

A simple trick is not to miss any opportunity: vacuuming, cleaning, climbing stairs, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow or walking your beloved four-legged friend are among them, by the way. You should avoid sedentary activities as often as possible.

Exercise tips for active people

If you are already active for 30 minutes a day, you can do even more for your health and performance. Conscious training increases your individual performance: you will go through the day with more endurance, strength and mobility.

Endurance makes your heart beat faster

Here, movements that literally make your heart beat faster are useful: Jogging, cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing and cardiovascular training on fitness equipment or in fitness classes work all the major muscle groups at the same time and get your metabolism going. Positive whole-body effect: a really good body feeling and good mood.

• 3-5 times a week
• at least 20 minutes
• light sweating
• accelerated breathing, so that speaking is still possible

Powerful years of life

When it comes to weight training, many prefer to switch off quickly because they think it’s not for them. But in recent years, the image of strength training has changed in favor of a new lifestyle – whether completed with weights, small equipment or your own body weight. As muscles are built and maintained, energy consumption increases and body image improves. Last but not least, strength training for seniors has long since ceased to be an insider tip. Those who have strong legs and arms fall less and are generally far more independent in shaping their lives than many others of the same age.

• 2-3 times a week
• at least 10 minutes of strength endurance training
• with the last repetitions, it may slightly pull and burn in the muscles.

Mobility makes the movement luck perfect

Mobility is the icing on the cake of all the presented forms of training and an optimal complement to the sports. Yoga even combines strengthening with stretching in the individual elements.

• at least after each workout
• the more often, the better

Training with a system

If you have succeeded in developing personal preferences, your own needs and enjoyment in sports, you will quickly feel that there are still many increases possible. For these to be effective, they should be done in stages and with the right alternation of load and recovery. Training principles can help you with this. These are useful because the body already gets used to regularly performed training after four to six weeks.

Conclusion: Every step counts, even the smallest. However, the most important step is the one from a sedentary life to a physically active one. Physical everyday movements are just as valuable as gymnastics at home on the mat or systematic sports. In all activities that are effective for health, what counts are the right intensity and the joy of doing them. It is good to know that everything we start anew must first become a habit. Any activity that uses energy can make a positive contribution to your health.