Physical activity is simply moving. Getting up off the couch to walk to the fridge, to open the door, and pull out some food, and walk back to the couch IS physical activity. Do you burn very much doing that? No - it's not the best form of physical activity but you are moving.
Exercise is structured physical activity where you have a certain time, frequency, and intensity. Think of this acronym when are you trying to plan out your exercises: FITT - frequency, intensity, type, and time/duration. These are all important factors in having effective workouts and getting the results you want.
People want to get healthy for many reasons...to lose weight, to relieve pain, to relieve stress, to reduce health risks, to live longer and better...all fabulous reasons. The key to achieving ANY of those things is to get moving! Fact: Being active strengthens the heart which can lower the risk of heart disease and other diseases like diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure), which strain the heart. Heart disease is the #1 killer in the US
Update: Saturated fat being bad for you is a MYTH! More on that later!
So...since we know what we know about how great and healthy being active is....why aren't more people moving? The biggest excuse is lack of time. We are all busy - very busy - but physical activity doesn't take that much time...
Solution: High Intensity Interval Training AND Heavy Weight lifting.
An awesome interval session can be just 12 mins! Who doesn't have 12mins to themselves during the day? If you don't, you are overloading and stretching yourself too thin - that's not healthy nor do I imagine you are HAPPY!!! Give yourself well needed breaks - 'me time' is important.
***Want some FREE interval exercises that will WHOOP your tail? Check these guys out: BodyRockers
They are AWESOME!
Exercising is something I see as doing more than the bare minimum to increase health. The person who wants to exercise has a certain goal - to get toned, to lose body fat, to run a marathon, etc. A structured workout is going to help you reach those goals but exercise shouldn't be easy. You have to do work to get your body strong. Even though exercising shouldn't be easy, it should be fun or enjoyable. We can work our bodies in many different ways so do research to find what activities you like (sorry - sitting on your couch on the laptop all night after work isn't an option!). If you need help with ideas, feel free to ask me.
**Remember to give any new lifestyle change a full 2 weeks. Usually after that time, things become habit.**
How do YOU keep active?
