It's time to get Travel Active!
Research shows that taking daily exercise can improve your health, confidence and quality of life. As our lives are made easier by technology, we move around less and burn off less energy than we used to do. We drive cars or take buses. Machines wash our clothes. We entertain ourselves in front of a TV screen. This means that each of us needs to think about increasing the types of activities that work for our lifestyle and can easily be built into our day.
Exercise is a stress buster. It can help you keep the weight off but, more importantly, it will lower your risk of developing chronic diseases. The benefits of physical activity include:
- Better health
- More energy
- Reduced stress
- Stronger bones and muscles
- Improved sleep
- Improved body shape
- More independence in later life
- Saving money if you decide to ditch the car!
By joining and regularly visiting this site you can find out ways to make your lifestyle more active and learn to travel in a more sustainable way. We will be publishing inspirational stories in the Active Forum, giving you the opportunity to set yourself active goals in the My Travel Active section, and keeping you up to date about what's going on in Dundee.
Setting goals and achieving them
At least 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity on five or more days a week is all it takes for you to reap the health benefits. Children and young people need to be active for at least on hour a day, for example through active play, sport or walking to and from school. The key is to start simple - get off the bus one stop early and walk the distance instead, use the stairs instead of the lift, leave the car at home and walk to work. It's all achievable and will benefit your health.
Become a member of Dundee Travel Active and use the 'My Travel Active' section to help you set achievable goals and work towards 30 minutes of exercise a day, seven days a week. Also, read real-life articles on the Active Forum for inspiration and tips on how to achieve your goals.
Have a look at some of the links on the right hand side of the page, they will allow you to get started with your new active lifestyle.