 | Getting Active / Staying Active |
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BENEFITS OF INCREASED ACTIVITY
The benefits of becoming more active include:
- greater quality of life
- decreased risk of chronic health conditions such as: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, being overweight or obese, some cancers, osteoporosis
- improved cardiovascular fitness
- greater muscle strength
- improved bone strength
- higher energy levels
- maintaining a healthy weight
- better self-image
- reduced stress
- improved mental health
- better concentration
- increase mobility, flexibility and balance
- reduced levels of pain for some people
INCREASING ACTIVITY LEVELS
Here are some things for you to consider to help raise your activity and fitness levels and reduce your risk of disease:
- Have some compassion and acceptance for where you are now. It's not likely that ignorance of the many benefits of activity is what keeps you (as a person with lupus) from being as active as you would like. The more likely scenario is that things like fatigue, aches, pains and the unpredictability of your condition are interfering with your attempts to be more active.
- Fill out the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire.
- Talk with your doctor about any health risks and your plans to become more active.
- If you have been quite sedentary (inactive), rather than thinking about starting an 'exercise program', start by thinking about how you can increase your current level of activity. Even standing uses more muscle groups and burns more calories than lying or sitting still. Don't discount household chores and activities such as gardening. Any amount of activity is better than none and it all adds up to better health.
- To avoid aggravating one particular joint or muscle group, vary your activities so that they involve as many muscle groups and joints as possible over time.
- Start by setting some realistic short-term activity goals based on your current level of activity. Ask yourself, "What is a realistic activity goal for me right now?" Be specific: What will you do? Where? When? How long? How intensely? How often? For example, "My goal is to walk at 10 A.M., fast enough to get slightly out of breath, from my house to the library and back twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays (about 15 minutes each way), starting tomorrow May 2, 2011". What supports can you put in place to increase the odds of reaching and maintaining your activity goal? For example, "I am going to walk with my friend, Debbie (who has already agreed). We will rest for awhile at the library and have a coffee before coming back." What obstacles can you anticipate that may prevent you from reaching your goal? How could you deal with these obstacles? For example, "I'm not going to let the rain stop me, because I plan to carry an umbrella and poncho with me."
- On sick days, do a little less or take a day off to rest before getting back on track or adjusting your goal.
- Increase your activity gradually based on how well you are 'tolerating' being more active. Deciding whether you are 'tolerating' the increase in activity can be tricky. Listen to your body. Only you can decide. Some questions to ask yourself are: "Am I pushing myself beyond my fatigue limits? Am I worsening my lupus symptoms or increasing the chance of a lupus flare?" If you are having trouble deciding, ask for some guidance from your doctor or a professional who is trained in fitness and dealing with chronic disease (e.g. physiotherapist, kinesiologist, occupational therapist) to help you develop a realistic activity plan.
- Ideally, as a longer-term goal, you will want to move towards achieving the activity levels described in the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (CPA Guidelines). These guidelines include: moderate- to vigorous- intensity aerobic activity (for cardiovascular health) as well as activities that strengthen muscle and bone and help with overall metabolism. But this is not the place to start if you haven't been very active up till now.
- One of the nice things about the CPA Guidelines is that you can break your moderate- to vigorous- intensity aerobic activity down into 10 minute blocks throughout the day and still reap the health benefits.
- For those of you have achieved the activity levels described in the CPA Guidelines, keep working to maintain your level of aerobic fitness and strength and consider gradually increasing your activity level even more based on how well you feel.
- Be prepared for set backs, if they should occur, and start again gradually increasing your activity level from where you are at that time.
RECOMMENDED READING
'Fitness For Dummies - 4th Edition' (2010) by Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent.
While this book is intended for anyone who wants to increase their level of fitness, it includes valuable suggestions for: "Getting Your Butt Off The Couch", "Going Cardio", "Building and Strengthening Bone" and "Limbering Up with Flexibility, Balance and Mind-Body Exercise". In addition they cover how to set realistic goals, stay motivated, know if you are exercising at the right intensity, tips for doing a wide variety of activities, avoiding injuries and more.
ALBERTA 'LIVING WELL WITH A CHRONIC CONDITION' PROGRAMS
These programs are designed to help those living with a chronic condition to improve their overall health and well-being. They typically include: supervised exercise, education, and self-management components.
- Better Choices / Better Health (Edmonton, Calgary Red Deer, Medicine Hat, Westlock areas)
- Living Well With A Chronic Condition (Calgary)
- TrymGym (Calgary)
- Building Healthy Lifestyles (Lethbridge)
- Healthy Living Centre (Camrose)
- Living Well With A Chronic Condition (Red Deer)
- Living Well with a Chronic Condition - Supervised Exercise (Red Deer)
- Living Well Chronic Disease - Prevention and Management Program (Multiple Northern Alberta Locations) - Athabasca, Barrhead, Berwyn - Grimshaw/Berwyn, Bonnyville, Cold Lake, Edson, Fort Vermilion, Grande Cache, Grande Prairie, High Level, High Prairie, Hinton, Lac La Biche, Manning, McLennan, Peace River, Slave Lake, Smoky Lake, St. Paul, Swan Hills, Valleyview, Westlock
- Health Promotion Programs (Numerous More Rural Alberta Locations)
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RESOURCES
- Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (Canadian Society For Exercise Physiology)
- Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines - for ages 5-11 and 12-17 years. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology has released these guidelines, the first ever of their kind in the world, to counsel Canadians on recommended limits to children and youth’s recreational screen time and other sedentary behaviour. The Guidelines also help outline the link between limiting sedentary behaviour and significant health benefits. (Updated Jan 2011)
- Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines - for ages 5-11 years, 12-17 years, 18-64 years, 65 years or more. Based on the most recent scientific evidence, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology developed the new Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines to help Canadians understand the link between physical activity and compelling health benefits. These Guidelines explain the amount and types of physical activity that we need to experience significant, positive changes to our health. (Updated Jan 2011)
- Tips to Get Active (Public Health Agency of Canada)
- Participaction
- YMCA Canada - Find your local YMCA
- YWCA Canada - Find your local YWCA
NOTE: Many of the city and town recreation departments and seniors support agencies in Alberta offer fitness programs for those with a chronic condition.
City Recreation Departments
