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Physical activity offers a range of benefits for all ages and abilities as part of a healthy lifestyle. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, physical activity is important across all age ranges.  Here’s what they say…

Source: Government of Canada

For Children (5-11 years)

• Physical activity is essential for healthy growth and development.
• Regular physical activity in childhood develops cardiovascular fitness, strength and bone density.
• Physical activity plays an important role in the health, well-being and quality of life of Canadians and helps to prevent chronic diseases like cancer, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease later in life.
• Establishing positive habits early in childhood and adolescence can last a lifetime.

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Physical Activity Guideline 5-11

Download and read this handout (Physical Activity Guideline 5-11) to learn more about movement guidelines.

Download File,

Source: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology

Being active doesn’t have to be difficult. There are many ways to make physical activity a part of daily life - at home, at school, at work, at play, and on the way.

Getting started is easier than you think. Start now and slowly increase your physical activity to meet the guidelines outlined in this session. They can be met through planned exercise sessions, active forms of transportation like walking or biking, as well as recreation and sports.

Download and print a copy of the Challenge Yourself to Move calendar below.  Take some time to think about and record your thoughts about WHY you want to become more active and HOW you will build activity into your weekly routine.  Then post the calendar in a location where you’ll see it every day!

Source: Ontario Brain Institute

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Physical Activity Calendar

For more ideas about how you can challenge yourself to move download the Physical Activity Calendar from the Ontario Brain Institute.

Download File

Physical activity can help you feel better, reduce stress and maintain health. It helps to prevent muscle weakness and health complications associated with inactivity.

Physical activity also promotes a normal day-and-night routine and may help to improve mood. The type of activity that works best for you will depend on your fitness level, present activity level and overall health.   

Take the Be Active! Quiz to learn more about the role of physical activity in the health, well-being and quality of life of Canadians. It’s a short quiz with ten questions – made available by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Click here to take the quiz.

Source: Public Health Agency of Canada

Do you have trouble starting conversations?  Do you quickly run out of things to say?

Anxiety Canada offers some practical advice for how to start, continue and end a conversation and boost your communication skills. Check out these tips:

Tips for Starting a Conversation

• Start a conversation by saying something general and not too personal, for example talk about the weather (“Gorgeous day, isn’t it?”); pay a compliment (“That sweater looks great on you”); make an observation (“I noticed that you were reading a book on sailing, do you have a boat?”); or introduce yourself (“I don’t think we have met, I’m…”).
• You don’t need to say anything extremely witty. It’s better to be sincere and genuine.
• Once you have talked for a while, especially if you have known the person for some time, it might be appropriate to move on to more personal topics,e.g relationships; family matters; personal feelings; spiritual beliefs; etc.
• Remember to pay attention to your nonverbal behaviour–make eye contact and speak loudly enough so that others can hear you.

Tips for Keeping a Conversation Going

• Remember that a conversation is a 2-way street – don’t talk too little, or too much. As much as possible, try to contribute to about one-half of the conversation when speaking 1-on-1.
• Disclose some personal information about yourself, such as your weekend activities, your favourite hockey team, or a hobby or interest. Personal information does not need to be “too personal”; you can start with giving your opinion about movies and books, or talking about things that you like doing.
• Try to show a little vulnerability: it can even be OK to admit that you are a bit nervous (for example, “I never know what to say to break the ice”, or “I’m always so nervous at parties where I hardly know anyone”). However, take care – sometimes disclosing too much too soon can put others off.
• Ask questions about the other person but when you are first getting to know someone, take care not to ask questions that are too personal. Appropriate questions might be to ask about their weekend activities, their preferences, or their opinion about something you said. For example, “How do you like that new restaurant?”
• Try to ask open-ended questions rather than close-ended questions. A close-ended question is one that is answered by a few words, such as yes or no, for example, “Do you like your job?” In contrast, an open-ended question invites much more detail; for example, “How did you get into your line of work?”
• Do I talk too much when I’m nervous?

Tips for Ending a Conversation

• Remember, all conversations end sometime – don’t feel rejected or become anxious as a conversation nears its end. Running out of things to talk about doesn’t mean you are a failure or that you are boring.
• Think of a graceful way to end the conversation. For example, you can say that you need to refill your drink, catch up with another person at a party, get back to work, or you can promise to continue the conversation at a later time or date (e.g. “Hope we’ll have a chance to chat again,” or “Let’s have lunch together soon.”)

Click here to learn more about how you can practice your conversation skills and expand your social connections!

Source: Anxiety Canada

Enjoying healthy foods with family, friends, neighbours or co-workers is a great way to connect and add enjoyment to your life. It can provide many benefits and contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

By eating with others you can:

• enjoy quality time together
• share food traditions across generations and cultures
• explore new healthy foods that you might not normally try

Food is often a main part of celebrations and special events. However, eating with others doesn’t have to be saved for special events.

How to eat with others more often?

Making time to enjoy meals with others doesn’t just happen. With busy schedules at work, school and home, making time to enjoy your meals with others can often get pushed aside.

The key to making it happen often starts with a plan. You could:

• plan a breakfast date with friends
• participate in community celebrations and feasts
• start a regular community meal with your neighbours
• have lunch with a co-worker at work or friend at school
• ask your local community centre about groups you could join
• plan a weekly dinner with extended family members or friends
• eat dinner with:
  • roommates
  • a neighbour
  • family members
• start a dinner party among your friends where everyone takes a turn hosting

When you eat with others, it’s important to remember to:

• take your time. Don’t feel the need to rush. Enjoy your food and the social aspect of being together.
• put away distractions like the TV or electronics. This can help you be mindful of your food choices.
• use it as a chance to connect. Talk to those around you and share what is going on in everyone’s life.

Source: Health Canada

Interested in exploring volunteer opportunities in your local area but don’t know where to begin?

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Contact your nearest office of the Alzheimer Society to learn more about how you can help.  Click here to access a list of regional offices of the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories.

2. Volunteer Canada has a comprehensive directory of volunteer centres across Alberta. Use the volunteer centre directory or consult the organizations listed to find a volunteer centre near you. Click here to access the directory.

3. Volunteer Alberta is an inclusive member association serving and representing Alberta’s diverse non-profit organizations. They are a voice for the value of volunteerism and the non-profit sector, encouraging participation and collaboration that contributes to the common good in Alberta. Click here to learn more about Volunteer Alberta.

Source: Volunteer Canada

The Value of Volunteering Wheel illustrates the many benefits of volunteering to building confidence, competence, connections, and community.

It also serves as a portal to research that examines the social and economic value to organizations, neighbourhoods, businesses, society-at-large and to volunteers themselves.

Download a copy of the Wheel to review in detail the various benefits.

Click here to access the Wheel and scroll down to explore this field from many angles.

Source: Volunteer Canada

Staying connected socially helps you stay connected mentally. Research shows that regularly interacting with others may help reduce your risk of developing dementia.

Having an active social life also can reduce your stress, brighten your mood and keep your relationships strong.

1. Accept invitations and extend a few of your own.
2. Make the most of your daily opportunities to socialize – chat with your taxi driver or store clerk; make conversation in the elevator.
3. Help someone – practice a random act of kindness.
4. Talk on the telephone or correspond via e-mail.
5. Participate in service clubs, volunteer work, or join a hobby group.
6. Combine social interaction with physical activity (such as a walk or a fitness class) or a brain-challenging activity (such as a book club discussion or attending a play) – and enjoy yourself while you positively impact your brain health.
7. Laugh – smile at someone.

Note: Your abilities, health and interests should be taken into consideration when choosing brain healthy activities. If you have questions about your own situation, speak to your doctor or health care provider.

Source: Alzheimer Society of Canada

In geocaching, you use a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver to navigate to a "geocache" - a hidden object or natural feature. Started in 2000, geocaching is a growing outdoor recreational activity that combines physical activity, technology, the outdoors and the thrill of exploration. It's an intergenerational, low impact, healthy activity that promotes natural heritage learning.

Natural and recreational areas, including Alberta's parks, are used for geocaching adventures. There are more than 1,000 geocaches in the provincial parks system, with requests for additional cache sites continuing to submitted.

Click here to see a map for geocaches in Alberta Parks.

(Updates are done annually so the map is accurate as of the last data synch.) Geocaching.com administers all geocaches in Alberta and has the most up-to-date listing.

Source: Government of Alberta

Sudoku is a number puzzle where you have to fill a grid with numbers 1 through 9, with each number appearing only once in a row, column, or box. The game makes you think critically and helps improve concentration skills.

There are many mobile and hard copy options available. Give your brain a small challenge by playing a game of sudoku. - There's a new puzzle every day!

Click here to access and download today’s sudoku.

Source: Alzheimer Society of Canada