Staying active is important
Q: I am middle-aged and know that I need to do more for my health. I hear about the importance of staying active, but what can that translate into for me? I need some motivation.
A: The past couple of years has taken a toll, zapping energy and enthusiasm for many. Developing and then maintaining healthful habits comes from a true desire to improve quality of life. If this is the case, then I would recommend setting realistic goals, making small changes over time and patting yourself on the back for your accomplishments along the way. Realistic goals relate to current state of health, including degree of mobility and medical conditions.
Cardiovascular exercise: As part of becoming more active, think of cardiovascular exercise as any movement that elevates the heart rate for about 20 minutes or more of continuous exercise. If 20 minutes is not doable, break it up into smaller segments. The idea is to slowly introduce extra physical activity into your life, increasing time, speed or days per week over time. One of the biggest mistakes people make when making the transition from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one is to do too much too soon. Once overexertion occurs, it typically leaves you less likely to want to repeat the action, so be sure to pace yourself appropriately.
Strength training: In addition to keeping your heart healthy, be sure to include strength training exercise as part of your routine. Our muscles help to support the joints and keep bones strong, and provide the ability to complete everyday tasks, such as lifting, moving furniture, climbing stairs, cleaning, etc. Start out by choosing a simple program which will strengthen all major muscle groups. Squats, pushups, pull-ups, bicep curls, tricep and abdominal exercises are good examples, performed all in the same workout or spread out through the week. Eight to twelve reps and one to two sets of each exercise in the beginning will allow time to familiarize yourself with proper form and intensity. From there, add sets, reps or additional weight loads as strength improves. For safety, consult with a qualified fitness professional if you haven’t worked out before, and check with your doctor for clearance to exercise.
Diet: It seems like every week there is a new fad dieting method promising quick weight loss. Although such methods may give initial results, when put to the test as a way of eating for life they overwhelmingly fall short. My advice? Think of dietary changes as something you are doing for purposes of better health rather than pounds lost. When we eat healthy, the weight comes off anyway with no need for needless stress or daily weigh-ins. Just as with exercise, making sudden drastic changes rarely helps with longterm success. The body becomes conditioned to what we have been feeding it, and undoing this process can take time, so be patient with yourself.
To sum it up, how do healthy changes to diet and exercise benefit you? The list is nearly endless, from staving off illness, increasing energy, lowering stress, giving you a healthier heart, weight loss, independence, better sleep and overall feeling of well-being. With all of this, the question becomes, why wouldn’t we want this?