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April 29, 2005
Get Up and Get Moving in May!
May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and I encourage everyone to get up and get moving! Now, when I say get moving I mean a couple different things. It is important for all of us to be “active� during our daily lives. So, if your day involves getting up, 10 hours of sitting at your desk, going through the drive-through on your way home, eating dinner as you watch television and going to bed, I’m talking to you. There are a couple things you want to keep in mind while you are at work. Number one is park your car far far away. If you drive to work, park your car in the furthest-most spot in the lot. If you take the bus, get off one stop early and walk the rest of the way. If you currently walk or bike to work – you are already many steps ahead! Number two is take your breaks. However, you are not going to the water cooler or break room for a doughnut, you are going for a walk. Fitting in three 10 minute walks a day can have significant health benefits. So this means your lunch break will also include a short walk. Don’t forget to walk by your boss’ desk to remind him/her that May 18, 2005 is National Employee Health and Fitness Day. Number three is take the stairs. If you have the choice of taking the elevator or the stairs, you will take the stairs. If there is a restroom on a different floor than the one you are on, I propose you take the extra steps and use the restroom on another floor. Your waistline will thank you later. Enough about work, let’s say you are at home and you are looking for ways to be active. You can work in your yard – mow the lawn, with a push-mower, of course, weed, plant flowers, fix the leaky hose or take your dogs for a walk. Inside, you can finish the laundry, organize the office or turn on some snappy music and clean, dance around or a combination of the two. All of these things keep you active as you go about your daily routine.
The other type of movement I want you to focus on is a “bout� of exercise to help improve your fitness level. I said the E word, I know, but don’t think of it as effort, think of it as energized! First things first, find something you like to do. I like to run…maybe not always in the beginning but once I get into my rhythm, I could run forever. (By the way, National Running and Fitness Week is May 16-22) I have run in a marathon, 3 half-marathons and numerous short races like 5Ks, 10Ks, 5 milers and 10 milers. My favorites have been in San Francisco running across the Golden Gate Bridge, down Embarcadero, through the Presidio and Golden Gate Park. Others may despise running. That is why it is most important to find something you like so you can stick with it. You can bike, swim, walk, take an aerobics class, play basketball, soccer, or any other team sport. They even make video games in which playing it involves dancing or putting you through a boot camp workout! Keep in mind, I am in no way an advocate of video games and that is the only video game recommendation you will hear coming out of my mouth. So that is aerobic activity and is only one component of fitness. Being fit also includes strength training. Building strength not only makes you stronger but also prevents injuries, makes daily activities easier to do, keeps your bones strong and improves your posture. You can build strength by using free weights, fitness tubes, strength bands or even soup cans or water bottles. All you need is some resistance. The last component of fitness is flexibility. Benefits of flexibility include improvements in your range of motion, balance and also helps prevent injuries. Improvements in flexibility can be achieved through basic daily stretches of major muscle groups or by doing yoga or tai chi.
So now it’s up to you. Find some free time by turning off the television. You have ideas on how to get moving and hopefully a little motivation. Remember, we make time for things that we want to make time for and making time to be active, whichever frequency, intensity or type you choose is well worth the time and effort. Exercise has profound impacts on your health, including lowers blood pressure, blood glucose levels, triglycerides, increases HDL cholesterol, relieves stress, builds strength, endurance and flexibility, helps you sleep better, increases self esteem, protects your bones and boosts your energy level. Listed above are all the great reasons to be active: so what do you do?
** Please consult with your physician before starting any exercise program. If you are not physically active, it is wise to start slow and easy and gradually add time and intensity.
Posted by Lisa at April 29, 2005 08:50 AM
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