Exercise Information
"The missing link"
We find exercise information all over
the place; on the Web, in books, on newsstands and in magazines…
"Everybody knows" that exercise is good for you, helps you
feel better physically and mentally and helps you manage
your weight, right?
With all this information telling
us how beneficial it is to get exercise, why is it that
about 80% of Americans don't do enough exercise, with about
half of those not doing any at all?
Could part of this problem be that the
information that we are getting is confusing and incomplete?
One source of information says "You need
to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day for at least 5
days a week" while another says "It is now recommended that
you get an hour of exercise a day, at least 3 - 4 times
a week to gain any benefit from exercise." Auuuugh!
It's mind-boggling and enough of a barrier
to cause anyone to plop down on the couch and reach for
the remote control. With a big bag of cookies!
What's the difference?
Physical activity, exercise and physical
fitness
The first thing we'll look at in order
to make better sense of all this exercise information is
the difference between the terms "physical activity," "exercise"
and "physical fitness."
Although these terms are related and have
similar meanings, they aren't identical in meaning. Existing
exercise information frequently uses "exercise" and "physical
activity" interchangeably, but there is a definite distinction.
The idea that they mean the same thing contributes to the
confusion about exercise information.
Basic definitions of physical activity,
exercise and physical fitness
Understanding the difference will help
blow away the brain fuzz on this subject and help you improve
this aspect of your health.
Physical activity
|
- Physical activity is
exactly that - any activity that involves using
your body. Housework, shopping, a bit of yard
work or gardening, even fidgeting - it's all "physical
activity."
- Exercise is physical
activity that is focused on training or developing
the body for the sake of health. There are specific
kinds of exercises that improve your:
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Endurance
- Balance
This article on the
different types of exercise explains how
each kind helps your body and your health.
- Physical fitness
is a result of good nutrition, effective physical
activity, good sleep and effective stress management.
Some exercise information leads us
to believe that "physical fitness" just means a body
like a Marine or a super-toned and shiny physique like
the models that you see on the cover of "Muscle and
Fitness" magazine.
That's a very misleading concept of
physical fitness! Physical fitness means that
you are in a condition that you have the ability to
perform and enjoy physical activities with ease.
Exercise: Focused physical activity
|
Thus there are different levels of physical fitness.
For example, one level of fitness
would be the ability to bend down and tie your shoes without
difficulty.
At an increasing level would be the
ability to play with your kids, grandkids, your cat or
dog without tiring easily.
The ability to do the Iron Man Triathlon
would be at an extremely high level of physical fitness.
The relationship between health,
fitness and exercise
We can get a good idea of our level of
health by looking at this health and wellness scale, as
discussed in the article on the definition
of wellness.
Improving your health and energy
is accomplished in gradually increasing steps.
As a component of health, your
level of fitness can be increased in gradually increasing
steps too.
The primary components of health and wellness
that you can control are:
You can begin improving
your level of fitness by simply increasing the amount of
physical activity you blend into your routine,
even if it's just a little more to start.
Even "a little bit more" physical
activity, done on a regular basis, will gradually improve
your strength and stamina.
If you are a "bed vegetable" like I was
several years ago, just the idea of walking around the block
was exhausting! I didn't even have enough energy to laugh
at the idea of doing anything resembling exercise.
But I finally realized that if I really
wanted to feel better, moving around a little bit more would
help me a lot. And it did! I started by doing little things
around the house more often. My strength and stamina have
improved to the point where I can actually do some more
focused exercises, like faster-paced walking, strength training
and stretching. And now it's enjoyable!
At the beginning of this article on exercise information,
I mentioned some statistics about the large percentage of
Americans who lack sufficient exercise to maintain health.
Well, it's one thing to just publish
alarming statistics and another thing to do something about
improving the condition. By understanding that exercise
and physical activity are different levels of physical fitness,
the door is opened to a workable solution.
It is true that our way of life now is
more desk and computer oriented than it was even 20 years
ago, which has had a huge impact on our levels of health
and physical fitness because we don't move around nearly
as much.
Stress levels in our modern society have
also increased, which can leave us feeling exhausted and
drained. It is true that exercise helps to handle stress,
but if we know that yet still aren't exercising enough,
there must be a block somewhere!
The missing link in exercise information
ANY physical activity,
no matter how little or for how long, done on a regular
basis improves health and fitness levels. |
As your strength and endurance improve
gradually, so will your ability and desire to be more physically
active.
That's the missing link! The majority
of exercise information fails to emphasize or even omits
this vital piece of data. I believe that it is a major block
that has kept so many folks in "couch potato" mode.
If we knew that even a little bit of regular
physical activity would make a difference, don't you think
it would be a lot easier to blend some more physical activities
into our daily routine?
Compare that to thinking that you must
do at least a half an hour of exercise 4 times a week to
make any difference.
Which could you do right now? What was
your response to the second piece of exercise information?
"I can't find the time" and "Yeah, right" are common responses…
Kinda stops you dead in your tracks because it's an unrealistic
target!
Simply cut back and find a level of physical
activity that is realistic for YOU and that you LIKE. At
some level of physical activity, we feel like "I can do
that!"
This article on the benefits
of exercise offers an enlightening look at why our body
requires regular physical activity to prevent illness and
enjoy health.
Whatever your physical condition,
there is something you can do to increase your level of
physical activity! If you're in bed most of the
time, maybe it's something like putting on your bunny slippers
and shuffling around the house every day for a few minutes.
Or if you work at a computer all day, maybe it's taking
a leisurely stroll around the block when you get home.
The
best place to succeed is
where you are, with what you have.
- Charles M. Schwab |
The last and an important
piece of exercise information is that physical activity
and exercise has to ultimately be pleasant and enjoyable.
If you dislike jogging, why do it? Incorporate shorter amounts
of enjoyable physical activity into your daily routine and
before you realize it, your endurance and strength will
be better, the quality of your life will be improving, and
you'll naturally want to do more physical activities and
exercise!
Cheers!
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