Getting Fit For Life

This should be everyone's objective. Being "fit" is being healthy which means you'll be more productive, better organized, more energized, and you'll feel younger longer. Some active people will be middle age clear into their 60's. You see them on the Golf Course, walking the course instead of using a golf cart. You see them jogging in the park and riding bikes in the long charity races. These people might not come in first anymore, but they still compete.

I found this post on WebMD and had to reblog it just to try and get more people motivated into exercise.

Why Exercise Matters

There are many reasons you should stay physically active, especially if you want to live a long life.

It can help:

Keep your bones, muscles, and joints healthy
Lower your chances of things like diabetes, colon cancer, and osteoporosis
Lower blood pressure
Manage stress and improve your mood
Ease symptoms of anxiety and depression
Lower your risk of heart disease
Manage chronic conditions like arthritis or diabetes, by improving symptoms like stamina, joint swelling, pain, and muscle strength
With balance, so you're less likely to fall and fracture bones

Sometimes as you get older, you may be a bit fearful of exercise. Maybe you think you might hurt yourself. You may believe you have to join a gym. Or you may not be sure what exercises you should do.

The key thing isn't how or where you get active, it's just to start moving.

Healthy adults should shoot for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, aerobic activity every week. Sure, you can do that in exercise classes. But you can also get it by brisk walking. It's also important to do movements that work all your major muscles at least 2 days a week. Also, try to do flexibility exercises 2 or 3 days a week to improve your range of motion.

Though 150 minutes sounds like a lot, you don't have to get it in big chunks. You can take a 10-minute walk around the block or spend 10 minutes sweeping the porch. It all adds up.

Feeling really motivated? You'll get even more health benefits if you work up to 300 minutes or more of exercise a week.

But a simple goal is to try to get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days. You may be able to do that on some weeks and not others. Remember, it's a goal and not a rule. Do what works for you.

How to Get Moving

There are two ways to move: exercise and physical activity.

Exercise is planned activity like aerobics classes, tai chi, spin classes, or swimming. Physical activity is the way you "sneak" movement into your day, like walking the dog or gardening. Adding both to your routine will help you stay healthy and live longer.

Always check with your doctor before increasing your activity level.

Ready to move? You can go to the gym or community center and take water aerobics or dance classes and do strength-training exercises.

To get in motion in a less formal way, you can:

Take a brisk walk or jog
Ride a bike
Rake leaves or pushes a lawnmower
Sweep or dust
Play tennis
Walk up and downstairs
Carry groceries

You don't need fancy clothes or equipment to start. Just get moving. You should start to feel stronger and have more energy in just a few weeks. That's the key to a longer, happier life. Be more active every day and stop eating processed foods and your body will burn off the excess body fat that you're storing. Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.