10 Reasons to Exerise

November 5, 2008

To Reduce the Risk of Heart Diseases
Daily exercise helps in strengthening of heart muscles. It helps maintain desired cholesterol levels. Daily physical activity reduces one’s chances of stroke and the risk of heart disease.

To Lower Blood Pressure
Daily exercise lowers blood pressure and improves blood circulation. Exercise helps in reduction of excess body weight and thus helps lower the blood pressure. Exercise results in the burning of calories. If supplemented with proper nutrition, exercise is sure to prevent obesity.

To Reduce the Risk of Diabetes
Daily exercise helps reduce the fat percentage of the body, thus reducing the risk of diabetes.

To Reduce the Risk of Osteoporosis
Regular exercise promotes bone growth. It strengthens the bones and tissues of the body and helps in increasing the bone density. Thus, exercise serves as an effective means to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

To Increase Longevity
Daily physical activity is the key to a long life! Regular exercise helps in the prevention of obesity, which is one of the important factors responsible for many severe diseases. Exercise helps in reducing the risk of diabetes, blood pressure and heart diseases. Research has shown that people engaging in a daily physical activity live longer than those who do not exercise at all.

To Improve Balance and Reduce the Risk of Injuries
Exercise is found to improve the balance and coordination of the body. As regular exercise strengthens the muscles and connective tissues of the body, the risk of severe injuries is reduced to a great extent.

To Remain Productive
Regular exercise reverses the natural decline in the metabolism that sets in after the age of thirty. Those who exercise regularly are found to remain more productive and energetic during the day. Increased energy levels help remain active during the day. A 30 minute-exercise every morning can help a person feel fresh throughout the day.

To Increase Overall Strength
Exercise is found to increase overall strength of the body. Rigorous exercise brings about an increase in stamina of the body. It also increases body’s endurance, thus resulting in an increase in a person’s physical capacity.

To be Happy
Higher energy levels resulting from exercise help a person in remaining fresh and happy. Following a suitable exercise program can add some fun and brightness to the day. Being active greatly causes a reduction in tress levels. Exercise is believed to generate ‘happiness molecules’ in a person’s body, thus helping him/her stay happy.

The importance of exercise cannot be stressed enough. The top ten reasons to exercise should convince you of the importance of including exercise in your daily schedule. Have you decided to do it? I hope you have.

Exercise and Depression

October 21, 2008

Exercise and Depression
Get up and get moving!
 
Stress:  Depression can be one of the most debilitating experiences in life. It makes you tired, so tired you want to go to bed and never get up. It can be a challenge to pull yourself out of that dark hole. Seeing your doctor should always be your first step in dealing with depression, but there are some ways you can deal with depression on a daily basis. Though it may seem impossible, exercise is one of the best ways to deal with depression.

Exercise and Depression:  Depression is one of the most common problems people experience today, but it’s also very treatable with medication, therapy and other self-help options. But, have you ever considered exercise as part of your treatment? Study after study has shown that exercise is a helpful way to treat depression because it:

Increases your sense of mastery which can help for people who don’t feel in control of their lives and moods
Increases self-esteem: 

• Provides a distraction from your worries
• Improves your health and body, which can help lift your mood
• Helps you get rid of built-up stress and frustration
• Helps you sleep better, which can often be a problem when you’re depressed

It may seem impossible to get moving when you feel depressed but that’s exactly what you have to do. No matter how tired you feel, getting up and moving around can bring some immediate relief to your symptoms and getting in a little exercise is an excellent way to work off some of that added stress you’re carrying around.

Keep It Simple:  The problem with depression is that it makes you feel like you have no energy. Even getting out of bed can take a monumental effort, so it may be hard to imagine exercising at all when you’re depressed. No matter what your thoughts are telling you, it really is possible to exercise when you’re depressed. If you take some simple steps, you can add a little activity to your day to help lift your mood and work through your depression.

Set simple goals:  You don’t have to train for a marathon. Set a goal to get dressed and walk around the block. Promise yourself you’ll walk around the block at least 3 times that day. The next day, do more. Try to improve just a little bit each day.

Go easy on yourself:  You might not be able to handle a lot of exercise, so try to feel good about what you CAN do. Now is not the time to kick yourself!

Do what you enjoy:  If yoga feels good to you, spend a few minutes going through your favorite poses. If you usually enjoy they gym, get your bag packed and hit the treadmill. Even if you’re not enjoying it right now, eventually you will.

 Make it social:  Try to find a friend to walk with. Talking to people can help raise your energy and remind you that you’re not alone.

Go outside:. Even a little bit of sunshine can help raise your mood a little. Try to get outside and get some fresh air, remind yourself there’s a world out there and you can participate in it as much as you can handle.

Work with your doctor: Be sure to talk to your doctor about your treatment options and your plans to exercise. He or she may be able to refer you to someone who can help you set up an exercise program.

Whatever you do, don’t give up:  You’re not alone and you aren’t doomed to feel this way forever. Try to participate in life as much as you can, even if it doesn’t feel good. Sometimes you have to do what’s right for yourself and wait for the good feelings to come later. Exercise can be a big help with your moods and the sense of accomplishment can add a new dimension to your day–something you can be proud of and feel good about.

-By Paige Waehner, About.com
Created: December 17, 2003

Motivation = Success

You know you should exercise, but some days it’s tough to get moving: not enough time, too tired, no energy. Counteract those excuses by discovering what motivates you, and use these strategies to develop and maintain an active lifestyle.

• Step 1 – Determine an attainable goal such as exercising twice on weekdays, once on weekends. Creating realistic goals will set you up for success. If your goal becomes too easy, you can always design a new one. 
• Step 2 – Create rewards for achieving your goal. The reward can be a massage, a new workout outfit, a new CD, a session with a personal trainer, or a new piece of sports equipment – whatever you really want.
• Step 3 – Partner with a friend, co-worker or loved one – someone who will support you and your goals without sabotaging them.
• Step 4 – Subscribe to a fitness magazine or online fitness newsletter. New tips and exercises can be inspirational and alleviate boredom.
• Step 5 – Create a competition with co-workers or friends. For example, the team whose members exercise for 30 minutes, three times each week for three months wins a prize. You decide what the prize is.
• Step 6 – Change into your workout clothes. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of getting dressed that causes the biggest barrier.
• Step 7 – Erase the concept that if you can’t do at least 30 minutes you’re wasting your time. Exercise burns calories, increases energy, and improves your health – even in small doses.
• Step 8 – Try a new sport or class. Adding variety, group support and competition can increase your likelihood of exercising.
• Step 9 – Make a commitment to your dog to go for a long walk at least twice each week.
• Step 10 – Look for ways to incorporate activity into your day, even if you can’t do your normal exercise routine. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, go bowling instead of to the movies, or use a push mower instead of a power mower.
• Step 11 – Sign up for a race and send in the entry fee. Whatever your activity – running, biking, walking, swimming – there are hundreds of races offered all over the world. Pick a place you’ve always wanted to visit.
• Step 12 – Join a gym. For some, paying for a membership increases the likelihood of compliance. It also eliminates the bad-weather excuse. 

Tips & Warnings:   

• Exercise in the morning. Research shows that people who make exercise a priority first thing in their day are more likely to stick with it.
• Every person goes through periods of time when it’s incredibly challenging to maintain an exercise program. Acknowledge it when it happens, recognize that it’s just a brief period of time, and restart your program as soon as possible.
• Choose things that motivate you – not what others want.
• Remind yourself of the many health benefits of an exercise program.
• Always consult with your health care provider before beginning an exercise program.

-How to Stay Motivated to Exercise
By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

Good Sleep = Healthy Aging

October 17, 2008

Good sleep is the key to healthy aging, study finds.
June 25th, 2008

Sleep…

A link between normal sleep and healthy aging has been found, according to a research abstract presented at Sleep 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

The study, authored by Sonia Ancoli-Israel, PhD, of the University of California at San Diego, and colleagues, focused on 2,226 women 60 years of age or older.

Reports of use of sleeping aids, daytime somnolence, napping, sleep latency, sleep maintenance insomnia, early morning awakening, snoring, overall perceived sleep quality, and sleep duration were all assessed.

According to the results, 20.8 percent of the women were categorized as “successful agers”. Items related to less daytime napping and fewer complaints of sleep maintenance insomnia best predicted successful aging.

There was no direct relationship between use of sedative-hypnotics and successful aging. Increased severity of sleep disturbance also predicted lower self-rated “successful aging” and a greater difference between perceived and actual age, and this result again remained significant after controlling for depressive symptom severity.

“Our findings that reports of better sleep are related to successful aging reinforce the idea that good sleep is of utmost importance for good health,” said Ancoli-Israel. “Health care professionals need to ask their patients — of all ages — about sleep and help those with poor sleep to find ways for improvement.”

Unfortunately, many older adults often get less sleep than they need. One reason is that they often have more trouble falling asleep. A study of adults over the age of 65 found that it takes 13 percent of men and 36 percent of women more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.

Older people often sleep less deeply and wake up more often throughout the night, which may be why they may nap more often during the daytime. Nighttime sleep schedules may change with age too. Many older adults tend to get sleepier earlier in the evening and awaken earlier in the morning.

Not sleeping well can lead to a number of problems. Older adults who have poor nighttime sleep are more likely to have a depressed mood, attention and memory problems, excessive daytime sleepiness, more nighttime falls and use more over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids.

Recent studies have linked the lack of sleep with serious health problems such as an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

While most people require seven to eight hours of sleep a night to perform optimally the next day, older adults might find it harder to obtain the sleep they need. Older adults must be more aware of their sleep and maintain good sleep hygiene by following these tips:

• Establishing a routine sleep schedule.
• Avoiding utilizing bed for activities other than sleep or intimacy.
• Avoiding substances that disturb your sleep, like alcohol or caffeine.
• Not napping during the day. If you must snooze, limit the time to less than one hour and no later than 3 p.m.
• Stick to rituals that help you relax each night before bed. This can include such things as a warm bath, a light snack or a few minutes of reading.
• Don’t take your worries to bed. Bedtime is a time to relax, not to hash out the stresses of the day.
• If you can’t fall asleep, leave your bedroom and engage in a quiet activity. Return to bed only when you are tired.
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and a little cool.
• Although sleep patterns change as people age, disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day are not part of normal aging. Those who have trouble sleeping are advised to see a sleep specialist.
  

-This article was prepared for Awake In America by Admin

Why Exercise? Part 1 & 2

Part 1:

Part 2:

CIGARETTES KILL.