Exercise Is Important to Physical and Emotional Health
"If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health." Hippocrates
The right amount of exertion will increase your life span my lowering your blood pressure, cholesterol and chance of diabetes. It will make you feel better. Thirty minutes of physical exertion will actually give you more energy! Get that blood circulating and the lungs breathing in deeply! Move! Walk, run, swim, bicycle or play games. No, no, not video games! Something that actually burns calories! Sweat a little or a lot! But SWEAT! No need to join a gym unless you just absolutely need the structure or enjoy being miserable with a group (c’mon, it’s really not that bad!). One of the easiest and most common exercises you can do is something you probably do every day of your life—walking. The average person takes between 900 and 3000 steps on an average day. Some say 10,000 steps should be our goal. Get a good pedometer to measure your steps. The Surgeon General recommends a minimum of 30 minutes a day of moderate activity. For more information you can go to
shapeup.org
Walking has many health benefits. It helps tone muscles and gives the heart a good cardio workout. Walking briskly works best! It can also help you lose weight, if that is part of your plan. Walk with your back straight and your chin up. Look ahead, not down. (So what if you step in a little poop now and then. Rinse your shoes off in the hose before you go inside.) Don’t forget to stretch those muscles first. Warm them up. Don’t start cold. That’s just asking for trouble. Can’t spare 30 minutes all at once? Take two 15 minute walks. Go on your lunch hour, especially if you are stuck in a windowless office all day. The fresh air and sunshine will do you a world of good. Walk in your neighborhood early in the day or in the evening. You’ll meet interesting people. Encourage one or more of your neighbors to walk with you. Make fitness a daily block party! After your walk, share a healthy glass of wine. Walking and wine (in moderation) will help you raise your HDL (good cholesterol) and lower your LDL (bad cholesterol). 
If you have a dog, be sure to let her tag along. The exercise will make her a happier pup.“If your dog is overweight you are not getting enough exercise.” Unknown When the weather is bad you can pull out that long-forgotten, dust covered treadmill that you stashed under the bed years ago! Do you have a stationary bike hidden in a closet or outside shed? Use it. If you don’t you will both get rusty!
Another alternative in bad weather is to go to a shopping mall (during a slow period so you don’t get slowed by crowds of people. The Christmas shopping period may not be the best choice of times to go to the mall for exercise, unless you call the wrestling match over that great jacket that was marked down 90% a form of exercise;-D).Expensive shoes are not necessary. Good fitting shoes are a must to prevent injury. They should support the arch of the foot, and the ankles and should provide good padding. Sandals, unless specifically designed for walking, or loafers just don’t cut it! Don’t mosey. Stride like you have a purpose. A brisk walk will provide more benefits than being “pokey”. I like to stretch my stride until I feel a little stretch in the back of the legs—ooh! Careful! Don’t pull a muscle, just stretch them a bit! Some people say smaller but quicker steps are better exercise. Let the arms swing naturally. If you are not used to exercise, start out slower with shorter walks and shorter strides. You will feel it the next day. Work up to a faster pace over a longer distance. Add five minutes every two or three days. There are “soft” forms of yoga or tai chi that can be of great benefit for those who are unable to do more vigorous exercise. The important thing is to stretch the muscles, to get the blood circulating and to do deep cleansing breaths. Tai chi is practiced all over the world. It is practiced in public parks with groups of people. Click on this
Mayoclinic.com link to learn more about the benefits of Tai Chi.
Do you have a walking buddy? It’s always more fun when you have someone to share your walk with. You can encourage each other to keep up the pace while getting fit together. Walk fast enough to cause a sweat but not so fast that you can’t have a conversation. Exercise is not only good for physical fitness it is also good for emotional fitness by helping to reduce stress.
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