888-765-5400WHY EXERCISE
WHY EXERCISE – WHY NOW?
Even if you’re losing weight on a diet, you should start an exercise regimen. Exercise is more important than you might think. The benefits of regular physical activity impact every aspect of your daily life.
Exercise helps with ease of movement, builds strong muscles, improves your posture, makes your joints more stable, decreases chronic pain and leads to better sleep patterns and emotional well-being.
Plus, almost anyone — at any age — can benefit from the health effects of exercise. It’s never too late to start being more active and improve your health and maintain your weight. A study published a few years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed people who didn’t start working out until their mid-60’s cut their risk of dying from disease by half.
For Your Health
Exercise reduces the risk for several diseases including heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, high blood pressure or hypertension, breast cancer, osteoporosis and colon cancer.
Reports have shown many health problems can be attributed to lack of physical activity, including hypertension and Type II diabetes. Research has also shown a direct link between immune system function and exercise.
Before You Start
If you are a man over 40, a woman over 50, or if you have been inactive for an extended period of time, the U.S. Surgeon General recommends consulting with your physician before embarking on a serious fitness regime.
You will need to be aware of any health risks that are present and discuss any pre-existing medical conditions in the event that they impact your activity level (e.g. respiratory problems, etc.).
Tracking Your Progress
Keep a fitness journal to review your performance and track progress. Jot down the type of exercise, duration, reps (if strength-training), and intensity. Review it regularly to get a line on your progress.
A once-weekly weigh-in will be sufficient for tracking your weight. One important factor to consider when weighing in after you start working out is that exercise — especially strength-building — can cause a slight increase in weight (or a plateau). This is due to the fact that muscle weighs more than fat.
So, a spike in the scale could actually be a good thing: an increase in muscle mass.
Even if your scale tells you otherwise, you’ll know you’re losing weight when your clothes begin fitting more loosely.
How Much is Enough?
There have been several different recommendations on how often — and for how long — to exercise over the last few years.
The World Health Organization recommends one hour a day of moderate activity most days of the week to maintain good health and a healthy body weight.
It’s important to listen to your own body when you are first beginning a workout regimen. Not only do you risk injury by doing too much, too soon, but you’re also far less likely to stick with it if you push yourself too far at the beginning.
Do What You Like
It’s also important to choose activities most like those you already enjoy so you will be more likely to continue exercising. If you like dancing, for example, changes are you’ll enjoy aerobics.
Try a few different types of exercise, because having variety in your workouts also improves your chances of continuation. Getting in more than one type of exercise will help you stay motivated more than doing the same thing day after day. Mix up exercise classes at the Y, aerobics indoor to a video, and a brisk walk outside. Not only will it keep things interesting, but each brings its own extra benefits (e.g. fresh air outdoors, meeting new people at the Y, etc.).
Walk Your Way to a Normal Weight
If you’re having trouble deciding on a type of exercise, the answer could be as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. Walking is an ideal exercise for many reasons, including its low risk of injury and you can do it almost anywhere.
Pedometers are a great motivational tool, so buying one could be the best fitness investment you ever make. A pedometer can cost as little as $5 and will be worth much more if you use it to set and meet daily step goals:
Studies have shown people who walk fewer than 5,000 steps each day are more likely to be overweight while those who take more than 9,000 steps daily are more likely to be of normal weight.
The End Goal
While you’re still overweight, your ultimate goal should be to participate in some type of physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day five days a week. You can work your way up in your own time.
So, in the meantime, working out three times a week is perfectly reasonable. Additionally, the activity does not have to be a “marathon session” on the stair climber … three 10-minute walks in a day will do the trick.
For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.
Sources:
Tudor Lock C., B.E. Ainsworth, et. al., “The relationship between pedometer-determined ambulatory activity and body composition variables”. International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders. 25 Nov 2001 (11) 1571-78.
World Health Organization: Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. WHO Organ Tech. Rep. Ser., 2003; 916:i-viii, 1-149.