Only 70 percent of you should read this
article.
The 70 percent are those of you who
don't get any exercise at all. Toying with the idea of increasing your
exercise, you may have been drawn to some news recently that said,
"exercising a little helps a lot." The next day, you may have read
what sounded like the opposite: "exercise vigorously to benefit."
With signals as confused as that, no one
would blame you for staying firmly planted on the chair at work or the couch
at home. However, the Center for Disease Control and other exercise experts
recently clarified that message, which ends up "a little exercise does a
lot."
Before going into that in more detail, a
quick word about why a nutrition column is talking about exercise.
I am not an exercise physiologist or
specialist, but part of nutrition involves the number of calories we get from
different foods. A calorie is just a way we measure the energy food gives us.
Part of that energy is used as our bodies' cells function to keep us alive.
The rest of the energy from food is used to move us around this world of
ours--exercise. So nutrition is half of an equation, and the other half is
exercise.
The Center for Disease Control and other
experts' message is very simple and empowering for all of us. Be active for 30
minutes over the course of the day and you will derive significant health
benefits, both physical and emotional.
These benefits include reducing your
risk of heart disease, cancer and boosting your immune system.
Only 30 minutes of accumulated physical
activity throughout the day will go a long way to making you healthier and
your life more enjoyable.
The discouraging reports show only 20-30
percent of Americans are active for 30 minutes a day. Why are the numbers so
small? In part, the physical activity guidelines have recommended 20 minutes
of vigorous continuous exercise at least three times a week. Even though this
is still an excellent recommendation and has motivated many Americans to start
running and aerobic classes, this recommendation does not fit for the majority
of Americans who are sedentary.
However, most of us can walk that file
down the street or can take 10 or 20 minutes of our lunch hour to refresh
ourselves with a walk. We can intentionally park farther away from the store,
or walk down the road to the mailbox rather than picking up the mail as we
come back in our car from town. Plan another 10 minutes to garden in the cool
of the evening (lots of weeds this year!). Maybe you can add a short 5-10
minute bike ride around your neighborhood.
Increasing you activity moderately has
big benefits.
Exercising aerobically has even bigger
benefits, but don't get trapped into thinking it's a sweating, puffing,
panting, weight-lifting all or nothing. Spread over several parts of our day,
10 minutes here and there is fine!
Sounds easy and do-able? It is! Give it
a try and think fun! The sunsets are never more beautiful in Montana than
right now. Your neighbor planted those flowers for you to enjoy as you walk
by. Get started now while the Montana weather is at it's best, and keep it up
when the air is bracing and the snowflakes dust the shoulders of your coat.
