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We've all heard it before. Breaking out of a sedentary lifestyle is critical to good health. This can be an even more challenging feat for those of us in our middle years (anywhere from age 40 to 60), who can be pretty set in our ways.

As a husband, father and doctor working in the field of cardiac care, I must practice what I preach. And these days, I am.

A few months back, I decided to set a goal of participating in the 2014 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon. My upcoming 50th birthday helped me realize that choices I make now will determine my future health. This is something I've been telling my patients for years.

I will be taking that plunge on Oct. 19 in a half-marathon race through the streets of downtown Toronto, along with a handful of my colleagues and former patients from the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Our programs treat some of Canada's most ill heart patients on a daily basis. It will be such a treat to see these same individuals in a completely different environment where we are truly celebrating health and possibility.

Showing up at the starting line will represent the culmination of several months of concerted effort (the leap from being a regular walker to running three to four hours a week) and the careful rolling out of my plan.

The importance of getting active in your middle years cannot be understated, for both preventive and rehabilitative purposes. Every day in my work, I bear witness to the power of exercise as medicine. I spend my days promoting heart health and identifying ways to make cardiac rehab more effective for people who are recovering from various forms of heart disease and/or surgery.

As Benjamin Franklin once wrote, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." As a father of two boys, ages 17 and 20, I think it is important I model this axiom both at work and at home. Here are a few tips that I'm striving to achieve in order to stay active in middle-age:

Save for your health the way you save for your retirement

Investing now in healthy behaviours will serve you well into your later years in terms of being fit, free of heart disease and diabetes, keeping blood pressure under control, and bolstering mental awareness.

Make structured exercise a part of your daily routine.

Routine is important, both mentally and physically. For the upcoming half-marathon, I've completed two10-km races and I run three times a week, anywhere from 7 to 8 km on weekdays to 10 to 15 km on weekends. Like any rigorous training, I know to expect a relapse, but mental perseverance now will see me through to the finish line.

Making a public declaration is important to sticking to a goal.

Setting yourself a personal goal, and making others aware, will ensure both accountability and responsibility to your family and friends. Employing the use of social media and smartphone apps so that your progress can be tracked in achieving your target is also useful.

Carve out "me" time and make friends and family understand why that time is important.

Whether it's posting a schedule on the fridge, online or elsewhere, ensuring your family and loved ones are aware of your exercise schedule is integral. As the key cogs in your support system, it is important for those closest to you to understand why this is important to you and your health and where possible not to encroach on that time. Even better is to involve family and friends in your activities. For example, last weekend my son (who recently started running too), joined me on the first 5 km of a 15 km run.

Make healthy choices

We often eat mindlessly, reaching for whatever is close or convenient. As a result we overlook the healthy option. We know that a balanced diet will lead to improved blood sugar control and cholesterol values, among a host of other benefits. The same applies to physical activity and exercise. We make choices throughout the day on whether to sit or stand, walk or drive, schedule one more meeting or instead go for a run. The right volume and intensity of exercise are important to maximizing gains in function and minimizing risk factors in cardiovascular health.

Learn from others

Wherever I go these days, I find myself striking up conversations with experienced runners. They have such valuable tips on finding motivation, nutrition, footwear, clothing, training aids and avoiding injury. They also share stories about interesting runs that they've been on and I've learned to appreciate that running is a whole new way of seeing and experiencing the world.

Find a purpose

Having a higher purpose is a key to sustained motivation and is associated with better health. I have taken up running as a symbol of our prevention and rehab programs that help people recover from or avoid heart conditions. I'd like to honestly say that, "I choose health every day – personally and professionally."

Health Advisor contributors share their knowledge in fields ranging from fitness to psychology, pediatrics to aging.

Dr. Paul Oh is medical director and GoodLife chair of the Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Program at the University Health Network. A leading expert on the role in rehabilitation, he has studied exercise interventions in a variety of patient populations. Dr. Oh has received numerous awards and is the author of many peer-reviewed papers.

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