Time to Make Room for Daily Exercise
By Sandy Schroeder
Most of us have the time, but not the motivation to exercise daily. Dr. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen took a good look at this problem recently and provided some quick motivation tips.
They found Americans average more than five hours of free time daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ask yourself where that time goes?
- Too much online surfing
- Lots of friend and family calls
- Loafing in the morning or the evening
- Wasting time looking for things
A Rand Corporation study of 32,000 Americans found no group, men or women, spends at least 7 percent of their time exercising. That would amount to 21 minutes out of 300 available minutes. Imagine how obesity, depression, diabetes and heart disease might be improved if just 10 percent, 30 minutes, of free time went to daily exercise.
You know how your spare time just flies away, but more important, what can you do about it? Fixing this may start with a few simple steps that will fire up your enthusiasm and keep you moving every day.
Get Out There Every Day
Make it happen with this plan.
Set the goal - Get 30 to 60 minutes a day of moderate-intensity aerobics with muscle strengthening sessions twice a week.
Enlist family and friend buddies - Making the effort to keep each other involved can be a very effective incentive. Heading out for walks, runs or gym workouts is a lot easier and more fun when you share the time with someone.
Release stress with meditation - Clear the decks morning and evening with a simple 10-minute meditation. Let energy replace stress to keep you moving.
Reward your efforts - When you lose a few pounds, buy new jeans. When you do 300 minutes of exercise in a week, treat yourself to a movie or a massage.
Try new things - Try a fast-acting dance session or a barre ballet stretch routine. Get a new bike and use it every day. Revive some of your favorite winter sports and involve the whole family with outdoor weekend activities.
Rethink the family room - Bring in a treadmill or stationary bike, small weights, and exercise mats to encourage everybody to keep moving in the evening.
Schedule exercise like an appointment - Pick the most comfortable times to exercise and then slot them into your daily schedule as appointments. Gradually they may take root and actually happen to become healthy habits.
Researchers remind us exercise helps us keep our spirits up, chasing away sadness and depression. Pick a few tips to try and enjoy the lift!
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Brea, Calif.