This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

How To Incorporate Physical Activity Into Your Life

There are so many ways and reasons to be active, finding motivation should be easy. The Heart and Stroke foundation is giving you one more. Don't have a heart attack. When you are deciding to skip out on physical fitness, think about not having a heart attack. It should motivate you to avoid the couch and do a little more to stay a little healthy.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation released a report on their website that everyone needs to see. The new "creating survivors" campaign needs to be the focus of this Nation for a while.

It's simple.

We are making huge advances in science and medicine. When someone has a heart attack, they can be helped now better than ever. But why are we not going to the root of the problem?

My career goal is to change the health of the Nation, One Fit City at a time. I want people to understand that when I say get active, or eat healthy it's not just for vanity. It's for hospital avoidance and to make memories.

Your healthy body allows you to climb mountains, swim in the ocean, play with your children, skate on frozen rivers, and just get out and enjoy the world.

There are so many ways and reasons to be active, finding motivation should be easy. The Heart and Stroke foundation is giving you one more. Don't have a heart attack. When you are deciding to skip out on physical fitness, think about not having a heart attack. It should motivate you to avoid the couch and do a little more to stay a little healthy.

Here are four tips to ensure you add physical activity to your life:

1) Have fun -- Time will fly by if you are enjoying what you are doing. Vanity results requires the gym. Being healthy is as simple as getting out and raising your heart rate any way you want.

2) Schedule it in your day like it's your job -- When is the last time you missed an important meeting because you just didn't want to go? I remember being involved in regular planning sessions for a job I had. They were scheduled Tuesdays at 10:30am and run till lunch. They were boring, and seemingly pointless. However, to keep that job and because it was scheduled I was there. I'm hoping exercise isn't as bad to you as these meetings were to me, but the point is, schedule it like it's your job. Go to your scheduled workout. Try to make it fun! But on days where you just don't want to go, go because it's scheduled and good for you.

3) Involve friends or co-workers -- Start creating a community of health around you. Be the catalyst for change, and make sure people are around you to support you when you get tired. Get out and try different classes or go for adventures in your city that require you to be active. Walk at lunch, or find ways to blow off steam with exercise.

4) Use social media to be a positive influence -- Take a photo of a healthy meal and post it instagram, post about a great workout experience on Facebook, tweet about a great trail you hiked. Do it to let people know you found something easy to copy, and to keep yourself having fun. We spend too much time on social media, let's start turning some of that time into positive health initiatives.

Read though the 2014 report from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Use it to inspire change, share it and this article with your workplace, friends and family. Then let's start making Canada healthy. It's time to "Create Survivors". Let's have less heart attacks in 2015 and beyond. It's up to use to change that number.

Do this for health!

ALSO ON HUFFPOST:

Stand At The Bar

25 Ways To Move More

Close
This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.