When you head to the gym, you’ll see the muscle-bound, grunting weightlifters and the happily glistening stationary cyclists. We’re talking about people who are extremely dedicated to fitness, people who might spend 7-10 hours a week at the gym. But that kind of exceptional dedication is not for everyone.
Still, some level of dedication is important. Canada’s food guide tells us that adults should get 150 minutes of exercise a week, in bursts of at least 10 minutes at time.1 Exercise can benefit just about every aspect of your life: it helps maintain a healthy weight, lowers your risk of chronic disease, and can improve your mental health, sleep and energy levels.2
If you’re new to exercise, we’d advise you to check with your doctor to see what level is right for you. But we can also help you break down that 150 minutes into short, easy chunks of fun workouts that offer a variety of ways to keep your body moving.
150 minutes of weekly exercise options
Take regular walks
This should be a “walk in the park” for most people. In fact, if you’re new to exercise, walking is an easy place to start – just 22 minutes of walking per day will get you over 150 minutes per week.
Or you could do three 15-minute walks, along with the exercises listed below, to get your 150 minutes of exercise per week.
20 minutes of yoga
Say “namaste” to a healthier – and bendier – lifestyle!
15 minutes of swimming
Many consider swimming the best workout because it combines cardio and strength training.3 Plus, it’s literally no sweat.
15 minutes of ice skating
Strap on some pads for a little shinny, or just skate some leisurely laps at your local arena or outdoor rink.
20 minutes on an elliptical machine
It’s low impact on your joints, but high impact on your cardio health.
20 minutes of downhill skiing
Hitting the slopes takes a bit of skill, but once you learn, it’s all downhill from there.
15 minutes of running
Cap off your week with a short run and cross the finish line to your 150 minutes.
If you find you enjoy some of these workouts more than others, don’t bother with what you don’t like – just do more of what you enjoy. And you may even find that some of these exercises are so much fun that you wind up with well over 150 minutes of exercise per week.
Sources:
1 Government of Canada, “Canada’s food guide: Physical activity,” January 14, 2019.
2 Healthline.com, “How to Start Exercising: A Beginner’s Guide to Working Out,” March 2, 2017.
3 Completebody.com, “HERE’S WHY SIMMING IS THE BEST WORKOUT (AND WHY YOU SHOULD START),” April 17, 2017.