Do You Really Believe That?
The Time Crunch
It is a fact of life today that compared to our ancestors of even a few years ago we are faced with more and more deadlines. While 24 hours remains standard, our efforts to pack more into “our” 24 hour time period seem to be part of a secret contest, the winner determined by less sleep and more meetings. Job related time restraints have dramatically increased.
We spend more time in the car commuting to work. And even this time is used to maximize our productivity thanks to the infusion of cell phones into our lives. Once at work, there are meetings, reports to prepare, review, and analyze. Business lunches allow us to eat and work simultaneously, and if that is not possible, delivery services conveniently bring food to the office, another way to increase productivity. Then comes the commute home, a place of rest and relaxation . . . yeah, right!
At home we must get Jimmy and Joan to soccer practice, Jody needs to be a Young Women’s activity, while you have a meeting with your auxiliary personnel. When all of the evening activities away from the home are done, it is time for homework, family scripture reading, family prayer, and bedtime. Did I forget to mention dinner in there somewhere as well?
Changes in Daily Living
As our time usage is being maximized, our lifestyles reflect a dramatic change in how we fill our days. Not long ago, a busy day naturally included more physical activity. Our ancestors walked more, did more labor with their bodies and not as much solely with their minds. Inventors have worked diligently to develop machines to automate and simplify our lives. Too often we opt for the easy way instead of the healthy way usually in an effort to maximize time. For example, if we are laying out a small fence for our yards, we run down to the local rental store for a posthole digger instead of using the shovel. A garden tiller is chosen over a shovel to mix in fertilizer, and a power rake is used instead of the old metal tine rake. There is no question these tools maximize what we can accomplish, but they also reduce the physical activity often associated the job.
Unfortunately with an increase in time, new ways to waste time have been invented. Modern time wasters include TV, the Internet, and video games. Each of these activities involves very little physical activity. Time wasters of the past were quite different. Consider the time once spent playing tag, kick-the-can, or swimming in the creek. These too were diversions designed to refresh the person, but they required physical exertion, unlike many of today’s leisure activities.
Some Sobering Facts
Of course, this does not apply to all individuals reading this article. There are many selecting new ways to spend their recreation time. These activities include mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, jogging, volleyball, strength training, “jog golf,”gardening, mall walking, and excursions along the greenway with the one you love. The list could become quite lengthy. However, according to Surgeon General’s report on Physical Activity and Health (1996), this list does not apply to the majority of Americans today.
The following is a summary of the report’s eight major conclusions:
1) People of all ages and both genders benefit from regular physical activity,
2) Significant health benefits arise from just a moderate amount of exercise each day (30 cumulative minutes),
3) Additional health benefits can be realized through increased levels of physical activity,
4) Physical activity reduces the risk of premature mortality (early death) in general, and coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes mellitus specifically,
5) 60 percent of Americans do not have some form of regular exercise, and 25 percent of all adults are sedentary,
6) Almost half of young Americans 12-21 years of age are not vigorously active on a regular basis,
7) Enrollment in physical education courses has declined by 17 percent between 1991 and 1995, and
8) Physical activity interventions associated with schools, worksites, and health care settings have been shown to be successful.
In 1997, the American Heart Association cited statistics indicating cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the nation’s leading cause of death. Regular exercise positively impacts the dramatic numbers associated with CVD. Likewise, moderate exercise can reduce the risks associated with CHD, hypertension, and Type II or adult onset diabetes. Now that you know exercise can positively influence your health and well-being, what is next?
What Can I Do?
Frequently, the reason formerly sedentary or less-active individuals discontinue their new exercise program, is the result of an injury of some kind. Therefore, it is imperative to start slow and with as much information as possible. If you have been inactive for a long period of time, regardless of age, I recommend seeing your doctor for a complete physical examination. Be sure you are physically ready and able to begin exercising. If the doctor identifies any areas of concern, work closely with your doctor to develop a plan whereby you may safely exercise with those limitations in mind.
If you have experience with exercise in the past, utilize that knowledge, begin slowly and gradually work yourself back to previous levels of physical activity. It is absolutely essential to remember that you didn’t become “out of shape” over night, and you certainly will not “get back into shape” over night either. Beginning a new exercise program too aggressively will most certainly result in pain and possible injury. Be patient!
However, if you are unsure how to begin an exercise program, I recommend meeting with a trained and certified exercise professional. Several reputable certifying associations include the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), C.H.E.K. Institute, ACE, and a host of others. I urge you to interview potential personal trainers as all certifications do not require the same level of expertise or knowledge. It is important you are comfortable with the personality and ability of the person you will be working with. Clearly, this option will require an investment of time and money, thereby excluding some who wish to improve their health. For those falling into this category, what can you do to improve your health without using a gym or club?
There are many ideas, some you have no doubt heard before. But, interestingly enough, many are accurate and effective. For example, stop driving all over the parking lot looking for a space close to the front door, park your car in the first spot no matter how far away and WALK! And I mean brisk walking, no leisurely shuffle. Walk as fast as your legs will carry you. Make the kids yell for you to slow down. At work, use the stairs as much as possible. If you work in a very tall building, take several flights of stairs before taking the elevator. If that’s easy, take two steps at a time, and if you have long legs, make it three steps with each stride. For home you can purchase a stability ball (available at stores like Wal-mart, K-mart, and Target) and exercise even while watching TV! If you have stairs at home, take them like you would if you were a teenager, two or three steps at a time.
Going up the stairway that is, doing that coming down could be dangerous.
Simply put, look at your life and see where you can easily add some physical activity. Use a shovel more when preparing your garden plot, break out the rake for smaller jobs, walk the dog faster, and walk more in general. These simple ideas can get you started. It is not necessary to dedicate yourself to hours a day, when just 30 cumulative minutes a day can offer a big physical pay-off. The hardest thing to do now is deciding to make it happen. Remember that a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. And I’ll bet that philosopher walked briskly along their way. Good luck and start this very day to improve your health. 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there, and before you know it, you have added 30 minutes of beneficial physical activity.
