Strengthening the Forces: What counts as exercise?

July 18, 2022 - Defence Stories

Q: Exercising in a gym or playing sports has never been my thing.  While I will never make the cover of a fitness magazine, I have stayed in pretty good shape thanks to my physically demanding job and the work I do maintaining my home.  My partner is encouraging me to participate in a local fitness program and I am not convinced this is necessary.  Is it possible to stay “fit enough” simply living a physically active lifestyle or do I need to jump on a treadmill and pump some weights?  Active Avery

A: Dear Avery:  Congratulations on maintaining a physically active lifestyle.  The simple answer to your question is that everyone is different.  Some people are fortunate they get a lot of exercise doing their job and household duties.  Unfortunately, most people today work at highly sedentary jobs and need to find other activities to maintain their fitness. The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend doing a variety of activities:

• At least 150 minutes/wk. of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity,
• Muscle strengthening activities at least twice/wk., and
• Several hours of light physical activities/wk., including standing

Some people can do this on their own and others are better motivated if they participate in team activities or attend a fitness class.  Whether you walk, pull weeds, swim, dance, trim hedges, run, or swing a racquet, what really matters is ensuring physical activity is a regular part of your daily life.

Unfortunately, many Canadians do not realize how inactive they actually are and how much this can negatively impact their health and wellbeing. The body operates on a “use it or lose it” principle and working long hours on a computer does nothing to keep your body parts strong and healthy.       

Unlike Avery’s, many jobs require little or no physical activity. So most of us need to find other opportunities to add some exercise into our busy lives.  This can be in the form of “active additions” that don’t require large chunks of time.  Small physical activities like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, short walks around your place of work and armchair yoga all add up.  If you get busy and lose track of time, smart watches and phones have apps that remind you it is time to move.

The bottom line: It doesn’t matter whether exercise comes from mowing the lawn, playing tennis, caring for your garden, biking the neighborhood or lifting weights.  What really matters is incorporating some form of regular physical activity into your daily routine (csepguidelines.ca).  Exercise truly is medicine and that’s not jumping to conclusions!

Dr. Darrell Menard OMM MD, Dip Sport Med

Dr. Menard is the Surgeon General’s specialist advisor in sports medicine and has worked extensively with athletes from multiple sports.  As part of the Strengthening the Forces team he works on injury prevention and promoting active living.

Strengthening the Forces is CAF/DND’s healthy lifestyles promotion program providing expert information, skills and tools for promoting and improving CAF members’ health and well-being