ANOTHER VIEW ON EXERCISE

            

            For years the standard formula that has been widely preached for exercise to be effective is the 30-minute workout, at least four days a week.

I still advocate this proven theory, as a constant physical lifestyle benefits the entire human body, physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. However, whenever a proven theory is put to the Litmus Test, new and improved methods seem to emerge, that demonstrates that other models may work as well as the original status quo, or at the very least, come very close to it. So let us examine exercise in a new light. We will also include some diet and related information in this paper.

 

1.      According to W. Daniel Schmidt, PHD, University of Wisconsin, “Short Bursts of exercise are just as effective-and in some cases, even better than- long workouts. Women who exercised for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, for a total of 30 minutes a day, for three months, improved their cardiovascular fitness just as much as women who worked out in 30 minute time blocks.”

2.      Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is a weight bearing exercise that builds bone mass. Bones get stronger and denser as a result of being put to work, according to Lynn Petrinjak of the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

3.      Morning exercise can suppress the immune system, when it is as it’s lowest protective point. “Immunoglobulin, A” a class of antibodies that protect the body against infection, are lower in the morning. However, if this is your best time to exercise, the benefits will far out weigh the risks. Graig Sharp, DSC, Brunel University.

4.      Cumulative exercises throughout the day, no matter how small, will add up to a full day of benefits. Toe raises while talking on the phone, stretches while watching television, walking the dog, playing with your children, house work, gardening, mowing the lawn, and any other physical activity that you can invent are all part of the small bit exercise program. “Exercise is cumulative, so three 10-minute bouts are just as good as the 30-minute session.” Connie Tyne, Cooper wellness program at Dallas.

5.      The advice from these experts seems like sound and well-tested information that the average citizen should heed. However, as great as these benefits are they will not produce total endurance and stamina. The athlete still needs that 30-minute, heart raising workout to maintain an over all fitness program. I still like that early morning jog or walk to loosen the body and to prepare it for the rest of the day’s activities. In fact, some experts even go beyond the 30-minute a day workout.

6.      Joanne Lupton, PHD, Texas A+M University States “That to be Physically active for an hour a day to maintain health and normal body weight… 30-minutes a day is not enough…activities should be moderately intense, such as cycling, swimming or brisk walking.

7.      Here are some thoughts from Steven Blair, Ped, from the Cooper Institute.

a.      Your goal should be to change your behavior, not to wear yourself out.

b.      Burning 200 to 300 more calories per day through moderate exercise lowers Health Risks, and will increase fitness, that will provide more daily energy.

c.      Increase the number of steps you take each day.

d.      Standing burns more calories than sitting.

e.      Set low physical goals, and when you reach them, set your goals one step higher.

f.        Being unfit and sedentary may contributed to weight gain, but it is the lack of fitness that creates health risks, not the weight itself.

8.      To improve your total body image you must ask yourself if you are satisfied with your face, body frame, muscle tone, etc. If you are not satisfied, determine that it is never too late to make positive self-improvement changes. Handsome and beautiful are words associated with models and movie stars, but two people in love with each other, no matter what their appearance may be, to each other “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” Think of your body as a friend. Be kind to it by keeping it fit and by eating healthy.

9.      Few people keep their New Years resolution that “they will exercise more.” People are obsessed with losing weight instead of looking at the overall picture of maintaining health. Most diets are unworkable and do not last because they are based upon an assumption that by just controlling what you eat will trim down the body. This is founded on emotion and the fad of the day. Without a complete lifestyle change, your goal to lose weight and to keep it off is a myth that you cannot afford to live with.

a.      To be successful, lifestyle changes should be made in small steps.

b.      Keep each change proactive for at least thirty days until a new habit is formed and accepted by your body and mind. Once this is accomplished, determine to make another small positive lifestyle change and repeat the above formula.

c.      It must be pointed out here that to make a change, something must go that you have been doing for a lifetime. This will not be easy for your character to accept.

d.      To replace a bad habit with a good habit takes determination and time. Most people find that this type of determination is not part of their sync, nor do they want to put in the time, as life is busy enough as it is.

 

10. To eliminate the struggle of will power and to beat the clock.

a.      Make lifestyle changes fun and exciting.

b.      Notice the small changes that you see in your appearance. Log and date them in a personal achievement book that you create.

c.      Determine to make small gains, not large ones.

d.      Feel good about these changes and notice the beautiful or handsome person that you are creating.

e.      Think outside the box. Pretend that you are building something positive and constructive. Use your imagination that you are standing beside your body and that you are actually reaching out and shaping and molding a separate entity, that you are not working on yourself, instead you are working on someone else.

f.        Look at this project daily, tweak it, shape it as you would using clay. Polish it and keep it clean and shining.

g.      Let others see your project and present it as a piece of artwork.

h.      Realize that what you are doing is no different than building a model airplane, or sewing a new dress. It is all the same thing.

i.        After the overall project is completed, you would not crush the model airplane or rip up the dress. Therefore, you would not destroy your new personal creation by going back to your old way of living.

j.         Be proud of your project and show it off often. Whether you enter your model plane in a show or wear your new dress at a party, show off the new you, your physical changes, your satisfying personality, your bright new smile, and your complete new outlook to everyone you meet. This will not take a conscious effort because this is the new you. The old you has been buried and is gone. Instead of mourning, there will be celebration.

11. Research has shown that regular physical exercise can produce emotional, social, mental and physical benefits that can last a lifetime.

a.      Exercise changes the way you feel, see, taste and touch. It allows your body to receive new sensations.

b.      It increases your energy by releasing chemicals that have a positive effect on your body. Real biological changes are now taking effect over your entire body.

c.      People in top physical condition heal faster than non-exercisers. The body responds to the rigors of exercise by boosting the immune system.

d.      An active body burns calories at a higher rate than an inactive one.

e.      Exercise lengthens the biological clock, which allows people to look and feel younger as the years pass.

f.        Once you are in top physical condition, you will want to keep it that way. So naturally, you begin to watch what you eat and how much.

g.      Regular exercises reduce stress during the day and contribute to a better nights sleep.

12. The bottom line, to established exercise theories, or to new developing ones, for a healthier toned body, a positive outlook on life, a satisfying personal goal achieving project, and creating a new you, exercises performed in large or small amounts will have far reaching, personal, productive benefits. WHY NOT GET STARTED NOW? 

It is always wise to check with your personal physician before starting any vigorous exercise activity.

 

                                                                                    Soke