A Few Minutes Of Activity Will Do Wonders For Diabetics |
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Have you ever paid for a year's membership in a health club only to end up so overwhelmed with all the machines in the club or the intensity of the recommended workouts that you never enter the club after the first week? Often, we don't get moving because we think we have to do all high-intensity activities such as aerobics classes or running to reap any benefits. What we don't realize is that even a small amount of activity done consistently can add up to big health gains. For example, if the average person started walking one flight of stairs every day, after one year, he or she could lose six pounds. Small things, done consistently, really do add up. Contrary to what many people think, you really don't need to join the high-intensity aerobics class to experience the health benefits of exercise. To improve your health and quality of life, you need a mere 30 minutes of activity per day And you don't have to get all of the 30 minutes at once—it can be spread over the day. What can count toward your 30 minutes of physical activity? Believe it or not, it can include simple things such as climbing the stairs, going for a brisk walk, raking leaves, cleaning the house, walking while talking on a portable phone, or getting up out of the lounge chair to change the television channel instead of using the remote control. Any daily activity counts. You just need to get at least 30 minutes over a day's time on all, or most, days of the week. At this point, you might be saying, "I don't get it. What's the difference between physical activity and exercise?" Physical activity is any movement you do in the course of your daily living. Exercise, on the other hand, is a more vigorous type of activity that involves planned movements that are done specifically to improve your body composition (body fatness), flexibility, and muscular strength, as well as your heart and lungs. Jogging, step aerobics, weight lifting, stretching, calisthenics, swimming, and biking are just a few examples of exercise. Physical activity and exercise both give you health benefits and improve your mood. If you are living an inactive lifestyle, you should start by focusing on physical activity -- any activity that gets you moving. To see if you are getting 30 minutes or more on all, or most, days of the week, you may want to keep ways to get there. Some ideas are taking two trips to the washing machine, carrying in only one grocery bag at a time, or parking farther away in the parking lot at work. In the long run, these simple changes could be enough to prevent diabetes and to help you geel better about yourself white you are doing it. |
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