by your ADI Team, MMNN Contributors

I don’t think any of us need to be told that physical activity is good for us. I am careful not to say exercise here, because exercise is only one form of physical activity. Exercise is when you deliberately perform an activity to get your heart pumping, like going for a run. People can be physically active without exercising. Taking the stairs would be a great example of where you might get a little extra physical activity in, but you aren’t likely doing it for the purpose of exercising.

So, we know that physical activity has a wide range of benefits; from reduced stress levels to preventing chronic diseases to simply keep off or losing weight. It combats cholesterol, boosts our hearts, lowers blood sugars and will make us happier and more energetic, but did you know that it’s even good for our brains?

Physical activity boosts the flow of blood to the part of the brain that is responsible for memory and learning, promoting the production of new brain cells. These effects can help a young child learn motor skills, improve the grades of your teenager, keep us focused at work and even helps us keep our memories and concentration when we reach old age.

The question now is how much physical activity do you need in a day? 30-60 minutes, five times a week is a good mark to go by. You don’t need to do all thirty minutes at once either. You can spread that out throughout the day. If you’re not sure if you are active enough, a great way to start worki ...

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