Getting Started

This activity toolkit is designed to motivate and help you increase your weekly activity. The
resources and information are partly personalized based on the details you provided in the
questionnaire, and the discussion with your doctor. This prescription includes:

• Planning Your Activity

• Overcoming Obstacles
• Resources to Help You

Being more active can have immediate results, like feeling more energetic and getting a better
night’s sleep. Physical activity doesn’t have to mean going to gym, it's about finding enjoyable
ways to live a more active lifestyle. You’re on your way to reaching the activity goal, and we’ve
got some simple ways you can include a bit more activity into your everyday life.

Reaching the weekly activity target reduces your chance of type II diabetes by 40%, heart
disease by 35%, joint and back pain by 25%. Making lifestyle changes can be challenging, don’t
let setbacks discourage you. Reach out to people you care about to help keep you motivated,
or even ask them to join you.

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 Planning Your Activity

Research shows that creating a plan and writing it down is a powerful way to help you stay on
track. Use the chart below to schedule physical activity into your life.

My plan to accomplish _____minutes of activity a day, _____days a week is:

Type of activity (i.e. walking, cycling)

Note: you don’t have to include three different types of activity. Do whatever
feels right for you
Example: Walking 1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________

To the park in my
Where? neighbourhood

Which
days of Mondays and
the Saturdays
week?

What Monday at
lunchtime &
time of Saturday after
day? dinner

Who will encourage me to stick with my plan: ____________________________________

One of the best ways to get (and keep) yourself motivated is to add your plan into your
calendar. Consider taking a few minutes to add the activities you just planned into your
calendar for the next few weeks to see how they fit in.

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 Ways to Stay on Track

Even the best-laid plans can be sidetracked. Planning ahead can help you stay on track. Below
are some reasons why other people have fallen out of their activity routines and things they
did to get back on track. Research shows that actually drawing a line between the situation
and your preferred solution can have a lot more impact, so please grab a pen and take a few
minutes to complete this section.

Situation: If I… Solution: Then I will…

Plan my activity ahead of time with what works best in my schedule
Feel too busy/tired for activity Split up my activity into 10-minute segments throughout the day
(This is just as effective as continuous activity!)

Don’t feel well enough for Talk to the doctor about changes to my health
activity Remind myself that some activity is better than none

Find out whether I can stay in a hotel that has a gym

Will be traveling Find out if meetings, attractions or restaurants are within walking
distance

Contact my doctor or physiotherapist about my injury

Get an injury Find activities I can do that won’t make the injury worse while it is
healing

Recall that it can take up to 12 weeks before I start to see changes

Am not seeing the changes in my
body that I expected Recall that my overall health is benefiting from the increase in
activity

Add your own solutions here:

Do you have a different obstacle
from those written above?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

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 Resources to Help You Start

Make Your Day Harder

It can feel like just another chore to find ways to fit in physical activity but this short video from Dr. Mike
Evans will help you find ways to “tweak your week” and make everyday tasks more active. After you watch
the video, scroll down and find a list of example characters like, “Tired Tina” and “Busy Brian” to find
resources that can help you overcome obstacles to getting active.
http://www.makeyourdayharder.com/

Physical Activity and Productivity

Many of us find it difficult to find the time to exercise. This short video explains how evidence shows that
being physically active might actually be a great way to not only get more done, but to improve how well you
do things and even boost your mood along the way!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG7n2QiaMB8

Get Active Your Way

This article from the British National Health Services (NHS) is broken down so you can choose advice based
on whether you’re young, an older adult, or if you have a specific barrier or a specific health condition that is
preventing you from exercising.
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Activelifestyle.aspx

How Can Physical Activity Become a Way of Life?

This short summary takes you through how to get started with physical activity and how to keep it up so that
it becomes a habit.
https://www.strokeassociation.org/-/media/data-import/downloadables/pe-abh-how-can-physical-activity-
become-a-way-of-life-ucm_300470_upd.pdf

Canadian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines

This detailed online handbook explains all the physical activity recommendations, and provides example daily
activity plans along with other tools to help you get more active and become less sedentary (they’re not
necessarily the same thing!). Look up your age group for the specific guidelines that apply to you.
http://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/Guidelines/CSEP_Guidelines_Handbook.pdf

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 Resources in Your Community

Group activities for all ages, capabilities, and interests

Find an activity that best suits you! These group activities are free and offered throughout Toronto. Some of
the activities listed are dance classes, sports, skating, and yoga.
https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/health-programs-advice/physical-
activity/

Cycling in Toronto- information on cycle paths throughout the city

If you’re a cyclist, find out what cycle paths you haven’t tried yet. Or if you’re new to cycling, take a look at
all of the different paths Toronto has to offer!
https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-transportation/cycling-in-toronto/cycling-
google-map/

Community recreational centres in Toronto offering a range of free activities

Your local recreational centre is an excellent place to try a new activity or to continue doing something you
enjoy. Take a look at what your nearest centre has to offer!
https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/recreation/free-lower-cost-recreation-options/

For Older Adults:

There are free, customized physical activities for older adults throughout the city of Toronto. Some of the
activities offered are group exercise classes run out of the SPRINT Senior Care Centre, Harmony Hall Centres,
and Etobicoke Services for Seniors. For more information on these activities and to find more activities, please
visit the Toronto Central Health Line website:
http://bit.ly/2k9ApUY
Or call 416-506-9888, and Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre staff will provide you with physical
activity choices that best fit your needs.

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