Take advantage of the WellNS programs available. The most important step on your journey to a more active lifestyle is that first step.
WellNS offers tools and resources to help you plan your physical activity program. You can also enroll in health coaching and have your personal counselor provide advice and helpful hints on the phone.
We also have a network of fitness facilities that have agreed to provide free trials and reduced fees to you as a NS employee.
Take your pick, go for it. WellNS has something to offer for you.
Get Fit
Scientists have found that fitness is more important to health than body weight. Men and women who are overweight or obese, but physically fit, have a lower risk of early death than those who are a healthy weight but out of shape.
Plain and simple: exercise is the key to better health and longer life. So the sooner you get involved in regular physical activity, the better.
More benefits
No matter what your size or shape, physical activity has important health benefits. These include
- Improved ability to fall asleep and sleep well
- Increased energy
- Increased mental acuity – sharper and faster thinking
- Better ability to cope with stress – people who are fit have less anxiety and depression that people who are not fit
What Types of Physical Activity Improve Fitness?
There are three kinds of fitness.
- Flexibility
- Aerobic fitness
- Muscular fitness
Flexibility
The ability to move joints and use muscles through their full range of motion. Stretching is a flexibility exercise.
Aerobic fitness
The body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently. This type of fitness increased the amount of oxygen that is delivered to your muscles, allowing them to work longer. Walking is a type of aerobic exercise.
Muscular fitness
The ability of muscles to become stronger and have greater endurance. Weightlifting is a muscular fitness exercise.
Getting Started
Aerobic Fitness
One of the best and easiest aerobic activities is walking. To get aerobic benefit, you must walk briskly. Some people start by walking 30 minutes each day during lunch or after work. Others start more gradually with a 10-minute walk every other day. For best results, set a goal to reach 30 minutes a day, five days a week or more.
Muscular Fitness
When you exercise against resistance, you stress your muscles. When you rest, your body rebuilds the muscles. As this process is repeated, muscles gradually become stronger.
Basic resistance exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and leg lifts are a good way to get started. You should talk to a health professional before beginning a weightlifting program – particularly if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, or joint problems.
Flexibility
To stay flexible, stretch all your major groups of muscles: Arms, back, hips, front and back of thighs, and calves. Stretch for a minimum of 10 to 12 minutes a day or participate in activities that include stretching like dance, martial arts, tai chi, or yoga.
5 Tips for Getting Active
Go slow in the beginning
Getting into each exercise session slowly is the key to getting a good workout and to avoiding injury.
Go for time, not speed
Tell yourself you’re going out to get 30 minutes of activity, not going a specific distance or doing a specific number of repetitions in that time. You’ll get a better workout if you stay at it longer; you’ll build more cardiovascular endurance and burn more calories.
Take it easy on hills
Trying to tear up a hill will often results in exhaustion, causing you to end your workout too early.
Vary your workouts
Don’t run the same route or the same pace all the time. Throw in a little varieity, try biking, aerobics, swimming, strength training, or skiing if possible. A little variety will keep things interesting and keep you motivated.
Find a partner
Even those with great self discipline know the benefits of working out with another person. When you exercise with a partner, you naturally push each other to do more.