movement

Leave a comment November 3, 2015 drworobec

My friends. Fitness is not a short journey. Fitness is a daily choice. And fitness is a very large, very important component of health. I saw the above graphic on Twitter a couple of weeks ago, and it really got me thinking; and from thinking comes blogging.

So here we go.

While the above information is American-based, I would guess that it likely applies to the Canadian population as well. And although ‘The Huffington Post’ is not exactly an evidence-based journal, I would venture to say that the above stats are well within the ballpark of truth.

The Public Health Agency of Canada released new physical activity guidelines in 2011; they recommend 2.5 hours per week of activity for adults, “focusing on moderate to vigorous aerobic activity” and incorporating activities that “target your muscles and bones.” This is only 21 minutes per day. I’ve already blogged and complained about their guidelines being drastically low for children, so today I’m going to say the same for adults. Following these activity recommendations are like following the Canada Food Guide for nutritional guidance; the research has changed and so should your views.

I believe in fitness. It’s a big part of who I am, and a big part of what I enjoy. So it’s hard for me not to stand on a soapbox and preach about this topic. Forgive me for ranting and raving….. such is an element of passion, and passion for this topic I have. Fitness changes everything from your quality of life to your functional abilities to your life expectancy. I’m not going to tell you to park your car further away from the mall entrance or to take the stairs instead of the elevator. I’m not, because you need to do more than that.

I promise that if you do not move your body now, while you can, you will not be able to move your body later, when you want to.

Soapbox away, rant over.

Leave a comment October 7, 2014 drworobec

***This post was originally written as a Guest Blog post for Momstown.ca.

This is my final post for Momstown, as I’m finding the time commitment to be too much when my personal blog is where my true passion lies. It’s been a great experience with a wonderful company and I’ve learned a lot about the world of blogging!***

~~~~~

With a five-year-old and a two-year-old in my house about to embark on their respective SK and Nursery School starts, I’ve been thinking a lot about the ‘teacher role’ I’ve played in their lives to date. I’ve been fortunate to work part-time, and so I’ve been able to spend the vast majority of my daytime hours with their amazing little selves by my side.

I’ve thought back to the practical skills I’ve taught them: putting on coats, taking off shoes, washing hands. I’ve thought about the academics: colours, numbers, shapes. I’ve thought about the life skills: taking turns, using manners, saying hello. But if I had to choose one thing, just one thing, that I’m proud that they’ve learned from me, is that I’ve taught them to move.

They’ve learned that movement makes you strong. Movement makes you grow. Movement makes you confident, capable, and full of life. That movement makes you healthy. That movement is simply a part of life.

I practice what I preach, and I preach movement. They see me come home from the gym in the wee hours of the morning, tired and sweaty and happy. They see me huffing and puffing as I push them through the snowy streets in the running stroller. They see that we choose bikes rather than cars, exploring rather than TV, and playgrounds rather than movie theatres. They see movement not as a daily chore, not as a ‘physical activity requirement’, but rather as a normal part of every day.

Have you seen this phrase floating around?

screen-shot-2013-10-05-at-10-15-00-am