Our Lifestyle Panel looks at a prescription to get active, making time to get active and setting reasonable fitness expectations and the dangers of drinking raw water:

A prescription to get active

If you are struggling to get active, whether it’s due to a lack of motivation or a cost barrier, an Alberta program could help kick start your physical activity.

The Prescription to Get Active program promotes healthy living by giving patients online resources and free access to community facilities, allowing them to try new equipment, receive support and to discover activities that work for them. Our experts agree that if you don’t find an activity enjoyable, you aren’t likely to continue.

Another important aspect of this program is starting that conversation with your doctor. It creates a different level of accountability, which will also help improve your chances of staying consistent and being successful.Since 2011, more than 15,000 prescriptions have been written, and 80% of the patients surveyed said the program helped increase their activity levels.

Making time to be healthy and setting reasonable expectations

Making healthy choices takes some effort. Whether it’s fitting in your physical activity or planning and preparing healthy meals for the week, it takes time to be good to ourselves and our bodies.

Most people feel short on time, so it’s important to make the most of the time we have. Our panelists say it’s easy to make excuses, but it doesn’t make sense in terms of our health and self-care. You must choose to make your health a priority.

That said, change is hard and lifestyle changes are no different. Lalitha Taylor says it’s important not to bite off more than you can chew. If you plan for small, realistic changes, you are more likely to see success and stay motivated.

Unfiltered, untested, unnecessary and dangerous?

Raw water is unfiltered, untreated water being sold to customers for a premium price. And it’s raising alarms for some health experts, who say the trend is harmful and potentially deadly.

Our panelists suggest thinking a trend through before you jump on board. Is it too good to be true? Are the results being claimed based on science and facts? Are their experts qualified to make the claims? Consumers are vulnerable and some trends are praying on their desires for natural and healthy products.

Our Lifestyle Panel this week includes: Lalitha Taylor, registered dietician with the Southside Edmonton PCN and a national spokesperson for the Dieticians of Canada; Craig Hamaliuk, co-owner of Custom Fit personal training in Edmonton and Dr. Peter Nieman, author and pediatrician with the Calgary Weight Management Centre.