Many of us live our lives as caged animals. We are designed to move but many times we put ourselves in our suburban cage. Our bodies are designed for running across the savannas, but we live a lifestyle simply migratinging from the bed to the breakfast table; to the car seat; to the office chair
; to the restaurant; to the living room couch and back to the bed.
We sit in the car. We sit in the office. We sit in front of the television. We use elevators and escalators, we find the closest parking spot in the mall and heaven forbid that we climb the stairs. We are simply getting lazy.
It has not always been this way. Until recent years, a man who worked on a farm did the equivalent of 15 miles of jogging every day; and his wife jogged the equivalent of 7 miles every day.
Today, our daily obligations of work and home keep many of us tied to our chairs, and if we want exercise, we have to seek it out and make an extra effort. Many health experts are of the firm belief that the obesity problem is probably caused at least as much by lack of physical activity as by eating too much. Hence, it is important that people need to move around.
However, that does not mean that a lap or two around the old high school track will offset a daily dose of donuts and high fat content fried foods. Exercise alone is not very efficient, experts say. They contend that if you just exercise and do not change your diet, you may be able to prevent weight gain or even lose a few pounds for a while - but - you will not see any real weight loss.
Nevertheless, it is not something that you are likely to sustain unless exercise is part of an overall program. The more regularly you exercise, the easier it is to maintain your weight. Here is what to do every day to make sure that you get the exercise you need.
1. Make sure that you get the sleep your body needs. Good sleep habits are important to exercise, experts point out. If you are tired during the day, you are much less likely to get any physical activity. Also, there is strong evidence that tired people eat more food as they use it as a substitue for the rest they should be getting.
2. Walk the walk. It is definately the easiest exercise program of all. In fact, it may be all you ever have to do, as some health experts say that it is the best exercise for many, many people. For best results, build up to at least 30 minutes of brisk walking five times a week. Walking itself has many health and psychological benefits that are more than worth the effort. Make sure it is part of your weight loss routine and you will soon find that you lose weighy quickly and come to enjoy the walk.
3. Walk the treadmill. When the weather is bad, you might not feel like going outdoors. But if you have a treadmill in the television room, you can catch up on your favorite shows while you are doing your daily good turn for your weight-maintenance plan. Most of us watch television anyway, and indoor exercise equipment enables anyone to turn a sedentary activity into a healthy walk. If you can’t have a treadmill in the house, then get to the gym. Don’t be afraid, just get out there and do it.
4. There is only so much time. Excuses aside, modern lifestyles are hectic and sometimes exercise takes a back seat. Health experts suggest a basic guideline for incorporating exercise into your schedule is of a very high priority.
Get as much exercise as you can without it cutting into your work or family life. Remind yourself that you are preventing many health problems both short and long term.
We all deserve some time that is just for ourselves. Use your time to do a little exercise so you have a health mindy and body.