Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Winter 2009/2010 Outback | Page 13

FEATURE

the Public Health Agency of Canada, as much as one half of the
functional decline between the ages of 30 and 70 is due not to aging
itself but to an inactive way of life. Ouch!
And let’s talk about our kids. It likely won’t surprise you to learn
that research shows that many of today’s kids appear to be trading
in active lifestyles for video games, the internet and television.
According to ParticipACTION, of children and adolescents aged two
to seventeen, 26% are overweight and another 8% are obese.
According to Canada’s study of Physical Activity Levels Among
Youth (CAN PLAY) in 2005-2006, only 13% of Canadian children and
youth (aged 5 to 19) meet the recommended guidelines in Canada’s
Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth. And here’s the kicker.
Forget about living to 100. The New England Journal of Medicine
reported that given this trend, our children’s lifespan could be two to
five years less than our own.
GET A MOVE ON
Okay, now that we’ve thrown the scary stuff at you, it’s time to
consider what can actually be done to wake up on a Monday
morning feeling refreshed, recharged and ready for the week ahead.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, scientists estimate
that at the beginning of a healthy living regime, we need to
accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Then, as you
progress to moderate activities, you can cut down to 30 minutes,
four days a week. Each day, add up your activities in periods of at
least 10 minutes each. Build up your activity intensity level slowly.
Remember, being active is supposed to be fun, not drudgery. And

getting active does not have to mean
rappelling off a high cliff or trekking
through dense boreal forest. It can be
as simple as going for a walk, swimming
lengths in a pool, shooting a round of golf,
playing a game of one-on-one basketball
in the driveway, riding a bike, gardening,
playing with your kids, or even dancing to your
favourite music.
Either way, your Subaru – with all-road, all-weather
symmetrical full-time AWD – is built to take you pretty much
anywhere you want to go. In fact, we specifically design our
vehicles with this goal in mind, enabling drivers to get out more
in total confidence. We are dedicated to promoting healthy,
active lifestyles in everything we do including supporting various
sponsorships like the Subaru Triathlon Series, the Subaru Ironman
Canada Triathlon, and the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s Golf
Fore the Cure. We have even created a unique online community
(www.subaru.ca/getoutmore) devoted to sharing information on
great outdoor adventures throughout Canada and hope that you
will visit and take advantage of this resource soon.
Understandably, running a triathlon would be a pretty tough
way to get started on any fitness regime, but who knows, it could
be one heck of an end goal.
Hiking has to be one of the most convenient and inexpensive
ways to get fit and enjoy the beauty around us. It can help clear
your mind or, if you prefer, give you time to think. And what better

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