You Should be Moving

It's important for all of us to get moving! The steps you take each day will greatly impact your quality of life!

"Regular physical activity is one of the most beneficial things people can do to prevent heart disease or support their rehabilitation after a heart attack or cardiac surgery. Not only is physical health improved, mood and psychological well-being are also enhanced, and some intriguing evidence is emerging suggesting that an active lifestyle in middle age may forestall the development of dementia." Dr. Andrew Pipe, MC, Chief of Prevention and Rehabilitation.

Fun facts about physical activity

It is never too late to start being active and get fit. Exercise can add years to your life and improve your quality of life.

Physical activity is a safe and effective strategy for the prevention and management not only of heart disease but also type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, and back pain.

Every part of the body can benefit from almost any increase in physical activity — short stints of just ten minutes at a time can be as effective as 30 minutes of continuous exercise.

Body composition describes the makeup of the body in terms of muscle and fat. Muscle cells are metabolically active and burn calories even while you are at rest. In contrast, fat cells are metabolically inactive. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn throughout the course of a day.

Running Room   Linda Panich.JPG

Be careful!

If you can’t talk, you’re probably working too hard. If you can sing, you could probably work a little harder. If you have a fever you should not exercise. Allow your body to rest and heal.

Tips

Here are just a few tips to nail this 5 km.

If You're by Yourself

Make it convenient for yourself. The key to your success will be choosing a place that is easy for you to access and fits well into your regular routine.

  • Carry your workout bag with your shoes in the car at all times.
  • Put on your exercise clothes and don’t take them off until you have exercised.

If you're with a Team

  • Get a group of co-workers, friends, or family together. Register to our Virtual 5K.
  • Pick a date in June and a location. It can be a route around your office, your neighbourhood, or a great running/walking trails. At the Ottawa Heart Institute, we walked around our track.
  • Dress up! Wear red to show support for the Heart Institute.

Have Fun!

Take lots of photos of your route, the sunset, the lake and most importantly, selfies! We want to see them. Tweet, Facebook or Instagram your journey with the hashtag #heart5K.

Check out last year’s pictures.  Email your photos and names of those who completed the 5 km with you to Lindsay Firestone at lfirestone@ottawaheart.ca.