Amidst the comfort and convenience of our modern lives, it can be a struggle to stay physically active, especially after a hard day’s work! Yet, we all know the health and well-being benefits of keeping physically fit, especially for our kids.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80% of the world’s adolescent population is insufficiently physically active and globally, one in four adults do not meet the global recommended levels of physical activity. The Malaysia 2022 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents showed that only 20% of 13 to 17-year-old Malaysians were meeting physical activity guidelines.
So, what can we do to cultivate a life-long movement culture for ourselves, our children and our families? Here are 5 tips that may help:
1. Start with talking and role-modelling
Building the foundations of personal health literacy is best started from a young age. It is never too early to talk or model to our children about moving our bodies for good health – just as we do for eating healthily.
Commit to doing the work yourself first, and then share with them how physical activity contributes positively to physical, mental, and emotional health. Show them how movement is good for enhancing memory, thinking, learning, attention, and focus. Model for them how physical activity improves your quality of life, and involve them in your journey.
2. Build self-awareness
As a general guide, WHO recommends at least 180 minutes of physical activity per day for children aged 1 to 5, 60 minutes per day for those aged 5 to 18, and at least 30 minutes across the day for under-1s. For adults between the ages of 18 to 64, aim for 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity, and build strength at least twice a week. There are also guidelines for older adults, pregnant or postpartum women, and people with disabilities.
Although physical activity benefits everyone, the ‘how’, ‘what’, and ‘why’ will differ from one person/family to the other. It’s therefore useful to develop self-awareness, as this will guide the type of activity you do and influence how likely you will continue with it.
Invite your partner and children to join you in this exercise. Think about:
- Current activity levels– How physically active are you at present? Do think about time spent being sedentary as well.
- Activity preferences– Perhaps you prefer walking over running, or maybe you like a particular sport?
- Motivations and goals– Is this to get muscles stronger, for flexibility, or weight loss? Reflect also when your motivation to move/exercise is low- what contributes to this?
- Resources and constraints– What space is needed? Do you have access to safe parks, budget for equipment? Are you able to travel to exercise classes?
- Context– For example: time and energy constraints due to long work/school days, weather conditions, existing health conditions or physical limitations.
Look to previous encounters with physical activity and exercise, and ask yourselves what you enjoyed, were competent at, or felt safe and comfortable in doing. After identifying your individual and collective values, needs, and desires, make a list of physical activity ideas and options together. Then choose one or two things to begin with, either as a family or independently.
Include your child’s preferences and opinions too. Children move through play, so keep in mind that having a developmentally appropriate, fun, curious, and exploratory approach that improves connection with others in the community (and with nature) is helpful – for weary adults too!
3. Follow through with small steps
It’s often overwhelming to begin, and then maintain, a health goal. A sensible and sustainable way to approach any health improvement journey is with small steps. Break down plans, goals, processes, activities into small actions, and then into even smaller actions, if they still feel like too much.
Instead of working your day to fit in physical activity/exercise, structure small activities into your day, and watch them stack up. Here are three science-backed concepts supporting the value of micro-actions that can be built into your daily life:
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Every movement counts
In November 2020, WHO updated their physical activity guidelines to “emphasise that everyone, of all ages and abilities, can be physically active, and that every type of movement counts.” This update recognises that whatever the physical activity is and no matter how small, it’s beneficial to our health and well-being.
It’s also important to reduce sedentary behaviour, which is linked to chronic health risks. An example of reducing sedentary behaviour (such as, sitting for hours at your desk or on the sofa) is to replace it with light-intensity actions (like moving around the home, or stretching).
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Snacking on exercise
‘Exercise snacks’ is about doing short bursts of activity spread across the day, each with one to four hours between them. It can be as short as 20 seconds, to a few minutes. It does not need to be highly structured, or you do not need specialised equipment, or a change in clothes.
The aim is to elevate heart rate, so several bursts of jumping jacks would fit here. Even household chores, baking bread and moving for a minute can get your heart pumping faster, without you breaking a sweat. ‘Snacks’ can also be simple stretching, breathing, balance and co-ordination exercises, even if they do not necessarily raise heart rates.
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Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)
The little ways that we expend energy that are not related to sleeping, eating, breathing, doing sports or exercising, fall into what is called NEAT. NEAT is basically the calories we burn as we move, literally and figuratively, along our usual day – and which help to break up sedentary time.
When you fidget, tap your fingers or feet, shift your weight around your chair, get up to stand, play with your child/friends, do daily chores, or run for the bus- they all play a role in maintaining your energy levels and body weight.
Whether it’s a small activity, NEAT, or an exercise snack, do find creative, playful, and safe opportunities for movement as part of work/school, leisure, sport and when moving from one place to another.
Here are some of my suggestions (and please add your own options and ideas to the list!):
- Chair-based exercises -for example, sit-to-stand, seated leg kicks. Please use a stable and suitable chair.
- Walking around your home, or around your block.
- Cycling or walking to the nearest shop for milk or bread.
- Getting off one bus stop before your destination, and walking the rest of the way.
- Dancing to your favourite tune during TV commercial breaks, or a family musical chair game.
- Taking the stairs, instead of the escalator.
- Upper body resistance training with food tins or filled water bottles as weights.
4. Attempt structured exercise
Whilst physical activity is essentially any bodily movement that requires energy expenditure, exercise is far more structured and repetitive, with an objective of improving or maintaining physical fitness (for example, weight training at the gym, or an exercise class).
As you and your family build up your levels of physical activity, you may feel ready to take on specific exercise goals, or train for a particular exercise event or sport. It’s recommended that you take steps to ensure exercise and sports safety, and familiarise yourself with injury prevention principles. There is a simple self-screening tool to help you and your child assess your exercise readiness called the PAR-Q+. The PAR-Q+ is available online and can flag up any medical or physical issues that need to be cleared with your doctor before you start your planned activity.
5. Recalibrate, if you get off track
Even with good intentions and well-laid plans, you may at times find it challenging to move forward because…life happens!
Offer yourself compassion, and recalibrate by going back to micro-actions. Make it easier to get (back) on track by using cues (for example, doing one-leg balance exercises when brushing your teeth) and rewards (such as scheduling exercise before your Netflix catch-up). And remember to lean on your exercise buddies and cheerleaders- your family – for accountability.
All the best, #makchicmumsquad!
By Choo Li-Yeng
Li-Yeng, founder of Habilitar, is a physiotherapist with extensive and diverse experience in health and education.
Habilitar is all about simple, contextual, and actionable musculoskeletal health education. Its purpose is to promote musculoskeletal well-being throughout one’s life course and to reduce the risk and occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders.
