Most of the time, when people hear about ‘being active’, what comes to mind is lifting weights in the gym and running on a treadmill. It might be difficult to achieve if a very busy person is asked to do this on daily basis. The essence of the five-a-day philosophy is that its components must be done every single day as part of a person’s lifestyle. These components must be crucial to our daily needs. The benefit of regular exercise goes beyond keeping fit. Exercise causes a chemical change in our brain. Hormones called endorphins are released. Endorphins interact with brain receptors that reduce a person’s perception of pain. They also act like morphine, producing “feel-good factor”, leaving one feeling positive. The more you exercise, the more frequently these hormones are released. The higher their level in your body, the less you respond to pain, and the happier you feel overall. If you are in pain over the loss of a loved one or stressed out by a broken relationship, job hunting or concerns about the future or family, exercise can clear your mind and shed some emotional weight.

You don’t have to go to the gym to stay active. Walking up and down the stairs more frequently gets the job done. Some people have adjusted their daily lifestyle to allow for some activities. Some examples include cycling to work in summer instead of getting the bus or driving. In cases where cycling is not possible because of the long distance to work, you could park miles away from work and complete the rest of the journey on foot. Other ways could be taking a walk down to a restaurant outside work to buy lunch instead of buying food at work. You could also walk your dog in the evenings. For some, it involves waking up slightly earlier and taking a 30-minute walk with their spouse or sibling before taking the morning shower.

Most of the time, when people hear about ‘being active’, what comes to mind is lifting weights in the gym and running on a treadmill. It might be difficult to achieve if a very busy person is asked to do this on daily basis. The essence of the five-a-day philosophy is that its components must be done every single day as part of a person’s lifestyle. These components must be crucial to our daily needs. The benefit of regular exercise goes beyond keeping fit. Exercise causes a chemical change in our brain. Hormones called endorphins are released. Endorphins interact with brain receptors that reduce a person’s perception of pain. They also act like morphine, producing “feel-good factor”, leaving one feeling positive. The more you exercise, the more frequently these hormones are released. The higher their level in your body, the less you respond to pain, and the happier you feel overall. If you are in pain over the loss of a loved one or stressed out by a broken relationship, job hunting or concerns about the future or family, exercise can clear your mind and shed some emotional weight.

You don’t have to go to the gym to stay active. Walking up and down the stairs more frequently gets the job done. Some people have adjusted their daily lifestyle to allow for some activities. Some examples include cycling to work in summer instead of getting the bus or driving. In cases where cycling is not possible because of the long distance to work, you could park miles away from work and complete the rest of the journey on foot. Other ways could be taking a walk down to a restaurant outside work to buy lunch instead of buying food at work. You could also walk your dog in the evenings. For some, it involves waking up slightly earlier and taking a 30-minute walk with their spouse or sibling before taking the morning shower.