When I became certified as a personal trainer, our instructor showed the class a cartoon.
A doctor said to a patient, "So, you don't have an hour a day to exercise?
Do you
have 24 hours a day to be dead?"
Exercising should come before your chores, errands, and other daily
pressures.
If you don't have your health, you won't be able to work productively or truly enjoy
time
with friends and family. Take care of yourself and you'll be able to take care of everything else.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
regular physical activity improves health in
the following ways:
- Reduces the risk of dying prematurely
- Reduces the risk of dying
from heart disease
- Reduces the risk of developing diabetes
- Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure
- Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure
- Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer
- Reduces feelings
of depression and anxiety
- Helps control weight
- Helps maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints
- Helps older
adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling
- Promotes
psychological well-being
Other exercise benefits, according to the American College of Sports Medicine
(2006):
- Decreased anxiety and depression
- Enhanced feelings of well being
- Improved Sleep
- Enhanced
performance of work and sports activities
- Improved immune function
- Increased quality of life
- Decreased
morbidity and mortality
Do you have an hour today?