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Health and fitness

Get the most out of life

Health and fitness Physical and mental well-being is something we all want in order to get the most out of life.

If you want to improve your health and sense of well-being it's important to eat well and undertake regular physical activity. It's all about creating a healthy lifestyle and it takes as little as 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise.

On your bike

Cycling is a fantastic way to improve and maintain fitness:

Just 30 minutes on a bicycle ride a day can halve your risk of diabetes and obesity
Cycling uses major muscle groups and gets your heart rate up
Cycling causes less joint strain than some other activities as it is a low impact form of exercise.

The Australian Government Physical Activity Guidelines promote the following as general health benefits of physical activity:

Helps prevent heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure
Reduces the risk of developing type II diabetes and some cancers
Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints reducing the risk of injury
Promotes physical well-being.

For older Australians many improved health and well-being outcomes have been shown to result from regular physical activity. These include:

Maintaining or improving physical function and independent living
Improving social interaction, quality of life and reduces the risk of depression
Building and maintaining healthy bones, muscles and joints, and reducing the risk of injuries from falls
Reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type II diabetes and some cancers.

When the weather's warm, particularly in summer, you should always take some basic precautions specially when doing physical exercise.

Ambulance Summer Safety Tips Fact Sheet | PDF 134KB

Safe cycling is an important part of ensuring you not only reap the benefits of exercise but enjoy the experience.

Ambulance Bicycle Safety Fact Sheet | PDF 122KB

If you want to improve your quality of life, reduce stress levels and get fit then try bicycling. Always discuss changes to your diet or exercise with your healthcare professional.

Last updated 25.01.2012