Being more active doesn’t have to be hard or expensive.
There are many free and local opportunities to get moving with your friends and family.
We have put together a list of easy and fun ways to Make Your Move.
If you have a suggestion to add to the list email it to recreation@cgd.vic.gov.au - we would love to hear from you.
One foot in front of the other
Walking is an easy way to improve your physical activity levels and increase your step count. It doesn’t have to be long walks or include a treadmill, just get up and make your move.
- Take your dog for a walk
- Organise to meet your friends for a walk around the block before you have coffee/lunch together
- Remember - shopping is also a great way to get your steps up
Make small changes
Small changes can have a big impact. Think about your everyday choices and how they can be changed to increase your physical activity.
- Take the stairs instead of the lift or escalator
- Park a bit further away in the carpark at the shopping centre or supermarket
- For drop off or pickup at school, park 5 minutes away and walk. This might also reduce your stress around this time
- Walk to grab your morning coffee or collect your takeaway for dinner if nearby
Make it a Family Affair
Being active together is a great way for families to bond. It helps social connections and can be an escape from the pressures of everyday life.
- Walk the kids to school, or park a bit further away and walk part of the way
- Make in house activities fun by choosing an interactive show on YouTube to get everyone moving such as 'Danny Go'
- Allocate time before or after dinner for 10 minutes to go outside and throw or bounce the ball with the family
- Create a fun 'active' competition within your family circle focused on who can be active the most during the week/month
Enjoy the great outdoors
Greater Dandenong is full of public parks and reserves that are available for all to visit. Head outside and enjoy the sunshine.
- Visit a local park or reserve
- Do some Gardening or join a gardening club
- Walk one of the many trails we have
- Go bird watching, join a local Parkrun or listen to a podcast whilst walking the wetlands.
Get active with technology
There are so many ways we can use technology to improve our physical activity and health. With mobile phones and the internet, we can take our activity with us anywhere.
- Try an online fitness video from YouTube – we have picked out favourite five - find them on the Make Your Move Resources page
- If you are having a phone catch up with friends or family – walk around the house or outside
Work It
We can spend a large amount of time at work each week and for many that includes a lot of sitting. These small changes to your work environment can have a big impact on your physical activity.
- Take your runners to work – you never know when you might have 10 -15 minutes to do a lap around the block or to the local cafe and back
- Change to walking meetings – instead of sitting in the boardroom walk around the local area and talk
- Take your team meetings outside or to local community settings
- Promote internally the importance of incorporating movement stretches/activity into your daily routine
Make the time
It can be hard to find the time to be active. But with planning and commitment, physical activity can become part of your everyday.
- Book time out to move in your calendar throughout the day, 5-10 minutes - it all helps
- Grab a coffee to go - Catch up with friends at a cafe which has a nearby park or trail or playground
- Take the dog for a walk before or after school/work with the family. Get everyone involved, scoot, ride, skip or walk as you go
- Utilise free phone apps like Nike Training Club, FitOn, Strava, Seven or google the most suitable for you and your favourite activity to get moving
