Exercise Can Relieve Financial Distress

With our economy in a mess and people’s hours getting cut, or worse yet, no hours at all, it is important to seek stress relief in a healthy way. For many, the typical way to relieve stress and seek comfort is through revisiting bad habits—overeating, smoking or drinking. These bad habits only lead to worsened conditions such as weight gain, digestive problems, and increased risk for serious disease.

In times of financial distress, people are not thinking about taking care of their bodies. Instead, our minds are consumed by working longer hours, finding a job and trying to figure out how to make ends meet. This frustration leads to poor health.

Exercise releases hormones in the body called “endorphins.” These hormones, when released, improve your mood and help you feel better giving you a more positive outlook on life. This positive outlook will better equip you to handle stress.

Getting active doesn’t mean having to get a gym membership or purchasing expensive equipment. You can “get it done” by utilizing resistance tubes and bodyweight. Resistance tubes can be used by people of all fitness levels and cost under $10. Numerous exercises are available for both upper and lower body. Go online and google “resistance tubing” for exercise options. Even with only your body weight you can do sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, squats and many others. To strengthen your heart and build endurance, get outside and jog, bike, hike, play a recreational sport, or get to a State park and enjoy all it has to offer.

Don’t resort to bad habits to relieve stress. Start by spending just a few minutes a day getting physically active. The only thing it will cost you is time. Be creative and have fun with it.

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Best of Health,
Tim

Older Adults and Physical Activity...A BIG DEAL!

Today, we know a lot more about older adults and their need to stay active and exercise. Regardless of your health and physical ability, if you are an older adult, you can gain a lot by staying physically active. Even if it is difficult to stand or walk, you can still exercise and benefit from it. In fact, you have more to lose by NOT doing it.

We have a gentleman at the health club I work at who just turned 92 years old. He comes 5x/week at 5:30am and rides the stationary bike. Could there be a correlation between his longevity and his willingness to be active?

Research suggests that people die from inactivity, not just from aging. “We know that as people age, they lose muscle, their immunities weaken and because of their weakened immunity, they are more likely to die of infectious diseases or cancers.” says Dr. Gabe Mirkin (www.DrMirkin.com) The most prevalent chronic diseases among older adults include arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. One in three people over the age of 65 will have a fall. Almost a third of these falls will result in moderate to severe injuries.

Don’t let yourself become a statistic. Get active today. Exercise generally falls into four main categories—endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Exercise and being active can benefit every area of your life. Check out these “practical” reasons to get started.

ENDURANCE activities will make it easier for you to: push your grandchildren on the swings, vacuum, rake leaves, etc.

STRENGTH training can maintain your ability to: carry a full laundry basket from the basement to the first floor, carry your smaller grandchildren, lift bags of mulch, etc.

FLEXIBILITY, or stretching, exercises make it possible for you to: look over your shoulder to see what’s behind you as you back your car out of the driveway, make a bed, bend over to tie your shoes, etc.

BALANCE exercises can help you: stand on your tiptoes to reach something on the top shelf, walk up and down stairs, walk on an uneven sidewalk without falling, etc.

Enjoy all the benefits that living an active lifestyle can bring. Don't wait until it is too late to get started. Now is the time. Start simple and go from there.

Good luck,
Tim

Sleep More and Lose Weight

When it comes to your health, you know how important it is to get adequate amounts of exercise and eat right each week. Many people take steps to ensure a healthy lifestyle by increasing the amount of physical activity in their lives. You know – moving a little more each day, maybe some strength training, or perhaps, trying a yoga class. We are even making smarter choices with our nutrition habits like cutting back on our portion sizes and eating low-fat foods. However, in this fast-paced world we are often stressed out and it seems like there aren’t enough hours in a day, we tend to neglect one of the basic necessities in life…sleep.

Research has shown that lack of sleep may be a potential contributor to weight gain and the growing obesity epidemic, as it causes disruptions to a number of hormonal and metabolic processes. Partial sleep deprivation can also lead to increased appetite.

Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining optimal health and controlling your weight. So I am giving you some easy advice – be sure to “count your sheep” at least 7-8 hours each night. Now…go take a nap and lose some weight!

Good Luck,
Tim