Did you know that 67% of Canadians aren’t active enough to gain health benefits? While the concept of active living is slowly catching on, many people believe that they can choose less intense forms of activity, especially during the summer months, and still gain the same health benefits.

Although gardening, mowing the lawn and going for evening walks are forms of physical activity it is important to remember the difference between exercise and active living. Active living means that you find ways to be physically active every day.  Examples are taking the stairs at work or turning off the TV and going for a walk outdoors, or going dancing. Exercise, on the other hand, is a form of physical activity that is planned, structured and done to improve at least one aspect of physical fitness, that is, strength, flexibility or endurance.

It is important not to replace exercise with active living and instead, blend the two forms of movement together. Be sure that your activity is sufficient and consistent. If you choose to spend more time outdoors during the summer months pick exercises such as beach volleyball, jogging, swimming and/or outdoor fitness classes like bootcamp and yoga.

If you’re unsure of your intensity level try the rating of perceived exertion. Perceived exertion is how hard you feel your body is working. It is based on the physical sensations a person experiences during physical activity, including increased heart rate, increased respiration or breathing rate, increased sweating and muscle fatigue. Self-monitoring how hard your body is working can help you adjust the intensity of the activity by speeding up or slowing down your movements. Through experience of monitoring how your body feels, it will become easier to know when to adjust your intensity.

To determine your intensity level, on a scale from one to ten – ten being the hardest thing you have ever done physically and one being asleep, you want to aim between a four and eight – somewhat strong to very strong. For example, a walker who wants to engage in moderate-intensity activity would aim for a RPE level of "somewhat hard" (4-6). If they describe their muscle fatigue and breathing as "very light" (1-2 on the RPE Scale) they would want to increase their intensity. It is important to appraise your feeling of exertion as honestly as possible, without thinking about what the actual physical load is. If you choose to increase your intensity this summer be sure to drink plenty of fluids, wear light colored clothing, and have fun!