Inspiring Health and Encouraging Active Lifestyles

As some of you may be aware, The Department of Health  published a governmental white paper called Choosing Health.

 So what is ‘Choosing Health’ all about?

Put quite simply, people aren’t as healthy as they were in years gone by and the government wants to help people in England to lead healthier lifestyles. 

‘Choosing Health’ is an action plan to try and achieve this.

An initial consultation process set up a number of priorities for action such as;

• Increase active lifestyles
• Reduce obesity
• And increase exercise

Why these actions? What are the benefits of exercising, or reducing obesity? Why should we be more active?

Increasing physical activity will help reduce the risk of Coronary Heart Disease, as well as having a positive effect upon obesity, depression and anxiety, mental illness, hypertension, diabetes and lower back pain amongst other medical conditions.

To achieve the benefits of an active lifestyle much of the research that has been conducted over the last twenty years has concluded that you need to be physically active for up to thirty minutes five days a week. For many people their views on sport and exercise were formed during school PE lessons, we’re we were left with the impression that only strenuous and intense exercise is beneficial to health. However, mild to moderate levels of activity are all that is required, you do not need to punish yourself!!

North Dorset Leisure Centres are committed to helping you, to accomplish your ‘5 a week’ by offering the chance to achieve your health benefits through the wide range of physical activities that are currently available. Why not look at one of our flexible memberships to help you mix your five sessions a week into a swim, a spinning class, a visit to the Inspire fitness suite, where we have qualified instructors who will ease you in the right direction towards your targets and goals, a circuits class, an aerobics class or why not bring the whole family along for a visit to one of the swimming pools at Blandford or Gillingham or for a game of badminton or squash at any one of the four centres.

Choosing your health need not be hard work, by also choosing North Dorset Leisure Centres and Inspire fitness suites you can do it in a fun, friendly and physically rewarding atmosphere. 

Go on, inspire yourself.