Stay Active: Simple Guidelines to a Healthier Life

Americans are living in a country where many adults are completely inactive, and more than one third of all adults are obese. The health risks that come from this lifestyle, and those directly related to obesity can be severe are expensive, but thankfully they are preventable. The American Heart Association and Center for Disease Control and Prevention have outlined easy to follow, effective suggestions to help keep obesity and its associated health risks at bay.

It is recommended that adults engage in 30 minutes of moderate exercise or physical activity 5 days a week, or 25 minutes of strenuous activity three days a week and two days of muscle-strengthening to help improve and maintain greater physical health. It sounds simple, and it really is. Physical activity and exercise can be anything; there is no need to feel restricted to a treadmill or exercise bike in the gym, when it comes to being active anything that increases your heart rate and causes you to sweat counts.

Take Away:
- Stay active. Fitness and health is not an all-or-nothing commitment. If you can’t reach the recommended amounts then get in just as much as you can, in this case some is always better than none. Even if you half to break it down to 10-15 minutes at a time, try find ways to help get in those 25-30 minutes. Little things like going for a walk and jogging or biking to work instead of driving will help reach that goal, and save money in the process.

- Make it fun. The more enjoyable it is, the easier it will be to keep doing. Get together with friends and go outside, throwing a Frisbee or a football is a much more fun than staring at that slow moving timer on the treadmill.

- There is no magic fix. Weight loss does not happen quickly, it is a slow and steady process. It will take time and commitment—but the reward is absolutely worth it.

References:
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/StartWalking/American-Heart-Association-Guidelines_UCM_307976_Article.jsp

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January 27, 2014 at 2:45 pm

[...] For more exercise ideas, as well as a full review of the exercise guidelines, check out our article from last August. Stay Active: Simple Guidelines to a Healthier Life. [...]