Physical Activity Philosophy

SIT LESS & MOVE MORE

With the evolution of modern conveniences, it seems physical movement is being engineered out of our lives. As a result, many of us sit more & move less. Growing research supports the negative impact physical inactivity on our health & well-being. Standing or even gentle movement in place of sitting still is of significant benefit to us. Getting up to move each 45-60 minutes of sitting to take a short walk or doing some movement in standing is highly recommended. Being creative to transform sitting & other physical inactivity to active movement will go a long way in helping us feel better & promote our health & well-being. Physical activity helps control weight, builds lean muscle, reduces fat, promotes strong bones & muscles decrease the risk of a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer & stroke & improve our focus, creativity & energy levels.

GET MOVING & KEEP MOVING WITH ENJOYABLE, MODERATE TO VIGOROUS ACTIVITY

There has probably not been any more encouraging recent medical research findings than those regarding the positive impact of exercise & physical activity on essentially every aspect of our health & well-being. With this in mind, taking small, safe steps towards performing either 150 minutes of moderate level aerobic exercise or activity 75 minutes of vigorous level aerobic exercise or activity each week or would be highly beneficial. Making this type of activity performance part of our lifestyle can contribute to feeling good now & far into the future. Selecting activities that we find enjoyable & that will get us moving & keep us moving is a way to make physical activity a consistent part of a life long beneficial lifestyle to give us what we need to live our best lives.

PERFORM RESISTANCE TRAINING TO BUILD STRONG, HEALTHY BONES & MUSCLES

Resistance training is beneficial for nearly everyone and not just bodybuilders or athletes as perhaps once thought. Resistance training at appropriate intensity & frequency can help us feel stronger by building & maintaining lean muscle mass, along with increasing & maintaining bone mineral density, promoting metabolism, enhancing burning of body fat, decreasing depression & help us think clearer & remember better. Research builds a very strong case that resistance training helps us to do more activities with less effort & with greater balance & longevity in our lives. Making time to incorporate resistance training into our schedule for 30 minutes, 2-3 days per week has been shown to be an essential component of our health & wellness regime.

MOVE, EXERCISE, BE ACTIVE & PLAY TO PROMOTE BALANCE, LITERALLY & FIGURATIVELY

While dedicating ourselves to fulfilling responsibilities & obligations is indeed important, making time to perform regular physical activity that may even feel playful is helpful in supporting balance between work & play or recreational activity. In addition to contributing to life balance, exercise, staying recreationally active & finding ways to play, will stimulate our body’s balance systems that sedentary or ordinary activities typically do not. Keeping our body’s balance systems sharp helps with postural steadiness, equilibrium & stability along with reducing our fall risk. Activities such as bowling, softball, golf, hiking, dancing, Yoga and Tai Chi can be counted as exercise while providing opportunity for fun & valuable connection with friends, family & community.

DON’T FORGET STRETCHING, FLEXIBILITY OR RANGE OF MOTION EXERCISE

If you don’t use it, you lose it. These words certainly apply to our physical body. Whether it is because of reducing our activities as we age or perhaps a sedentary lifestyle, limiting our body’s movement may result in loss of motion of our joints & flexibility of our muscles & other soft tissues. Preventing “stiffness” & keeping joints, muscles & other soft tissues working at their best, requires movement that stretches them. Promoting flexibility & range of motion can reduce pain, prevent injury, improve physical performance & make everyday movements easier. It is recommended that stretching exercises be done once a day& 3-7 times per week.

TRADE SOME INDOOR TIME FOR OUTDOOR TIME

The average American spends 90% of our life indoors. This results in far less time outside in green, natural spaces than our ancestors. New research suggests activities or exercise performed outside in connection with nature have several unique health & wellness benefits. Our vitamin D levels increase with sensible sun exposure. Outdoor air can be fresher than indoors, as some air pollutant concentrations are typically two-to-five times & sometimes as high as 100 times higher indoors than outdoors. Also, outdoor activities can elevate our mood, reduce our stress levels, boost our immune system, improve sleep quality & enhance our concentration.

PROMOTE OR PRESERVE SUFFICIENT & EFFECTIVE SLEEP

Quality sleep can improve concentration, enhance memory, reduce accidents, lessen stress & anxiety, elevate creativity, reduce pain & lengthen & promote a higher quality of life. The following amount of sleep every 24 hours is recommended by the Center for Disease Control: Infants 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours (including naps), Children 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours (including naps), Children 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours (including naps), Teens 13 to 18 years: 8 to 10 hours & Adults (including elderly): 7-8 hours. Inadequate sleep is associated with a number of health conditions including; obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression & injuries.

NURTURE & SUSTAIN A PHYSICALLY ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

Everyone can feel better & gain the health & wellness benefits of physical activity & exercise - age, ethnicity, fitness levels, shape or size do not matter. Staying motivated & successful at being physically active is an essential component that contributes to our best life. One key to success is to choose physical activities that we find enjoyable to do & make us feel good. Another key to success in creating an active lifestyle, is to make small choices each day such as; taking stairs rather than an elevator, parking a bit father away from an entrance to a store, not sitting more than 30 consecutive minutes, or walking in place while on the phone. Movement is the fuel that revitalizes us so that we have greater opportunity to experience Body-Mind-Spirit prosperity

CONSIDER CONSULTATION BEFORE BEGINNING AN EXERCISE OR ACTIVITY PROGRAM

Soliciting professional advice when questions, concerns or health conditions are present is beneficial before starting out on an exercise, fitness or activity program. Before beginning such a program, having a health, movement or exercise specialist such as a Physician, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapist, Chiropractor or Personal Trainer evaluate where you are starting from, may be quite beneficial. These professionals can guide us in the best way to exercise or participate in activities that will help meet our goals & reduce the risk of injury.