Top tips to get started
1. Have fun
There are tons of activities you can try. Remember it’s having
fun, not how good you are, that matters. Check out what you can do
at school and in the local community or simply invite friends round
for a boogie!
2. Find a fitness buddy
Make exercise a social event by doing it with some friends. It’
always more fun to be active with mates and you can catch up on the
gossip at the same time! Find an activity you all enjoy and
motivate each other to keep fit.
3. Set some activity goals
Goals are great at getting you focused and keeping you motivated.
Set some short term activity goals and write these down. Make sure
your goals are realistic and specific e.g. walk to school 2 days
next week. When you achieve a goal, put a satisfying tick next to
it!
4. Think variety
By varying the activities that you participate in, you will stay
fresh and continue to discover new goals and challenges.
5. Try something new 
Bored with doing the same old activities? Check out what else is
available at school or in the local community. Try something new
and exciting – there are loads of activities to choose from.
6. Make activity a routine
A great way of fitting in extra activity is to find active
alternatives for things you do every day e.g. walking or cycling to
school or for other short journeys instead of being driven or
taking the stairs instead of the escalator or lift. See tips on fitting activity into a busy
lifestyle for more examples.
7. Plan in some activity
Too busy to exercise? Identify a couple of slots during the week
when you could be active and plan in some fun activity. You may
find it difficult at first as old habits are hard to break, but try
to persevere – activity will soon become part of your routine and
you will wonder why you found it hard to fit in before.
Important: Before starting your activity, you
need to read the warm up and cool down
exercises.
Tips on
fitting activity into a busy
lifestyle
There are
lots of ways to easily build more moderate physical activity into
your life that can contribute to your hour a day of physical
activity:
• walk short journeys rather than getting a lift in the
car
• make the most of activity clubs offered at your school
• get fully involved in your PE lessons
• walk around or get involved in activity during
breaktimes
• encourage your family to participate in activity together at
the weekend
• be active during homework breaks (dancing to favourite
track; taking your dog for quick brisk walk)
• help out with the odd job at home - wash the car; rake up
leaves.
Also look for ways of reducing the amount of time
that you are inactive or sedentary:
• walk up escalators or better still take the stairs
• get up to turn the TV over and avoid using the remote
control
• get up and do something else during advert breaks
• run up the stairs at home instead of walking – take care not
to trip, though!
• reduce the amount of time that you spend sitting (think of
time sat in front of the TV, computer time) - regularly get up and
move around.
Important: Before starting your activity, you
need to read the warm up and cool
down exercises.