All month I'm going to discuss some not so fun facts that pertain to our Health and Wellness in America. And trust me: These Are Super Scary! If you missed Part One and Part Two, well you should check them out here.
Every week this month I will post an article addressing the state of some of the scariest (in my opinion) statistics facing the Unites States in the area of Heath and Wellness. Today is Part Three - Scary Health and Wellness: Physical Activity in America.
5% of Adults Participate in Exercise.
1 in 3 Children are Physically Active.
I can hear it now - the calls and hollers of "I don't have time", "I have bad knees", or "I hate exercise". All common excuses, all partly valid, but all complete B.S. Exercise has it's fair share of Blind Spots - those excuses you rationalize. Rationalize = Rational Lies. They seem valid on the surface, but the are simply excuses to not do what you know you need to do.
What Do You Need To Do?
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, maintain weight loss or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Want to aim even higher? You can achieve more health benefits if you ramp up your exercise to 300 minutes or more a week.
Here's the thing: You should first decide what you want OUT of your work out (the result) and then narrow down your options from there. NOT ALL WORKOUT GOALS ARE THE SAME.
Some people want to lose weight. Some people want to gain weight. (WHAT?! Yes, it's true.) Some people want to tone up. Some people want to bulk up. Some people just want to function in daily life better. Some people want to be bikini models. Your goal will determine the best workout options for you, and I've listed a few common goals in this previous post.
Children ages 5–17 should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily and most of the activity should be aerobic (aka: get the heart rate up). Amounts of physical activity greater than 60 minutes provide additional health benefits.
It's pretty simple really: get moving! Except it's simple - it's not easy.
It's not easy because we have our minds involved. We have previous experiences and perceptions that hinder our best intentions.
I'm sure you've heard those sayings: "it doesn't get easier, you just get better", "sweat is just fat crying", and "no pain, no gain" (I agree with one of these - guess which one!).
Whatever you need to tell yourself to get you through the workout is up to you, but I can't reiterate the importance of keeping it positive and not shaming. The phrase I say to all my clients is: The hardest part is walking in the door.
To truly tackle the challenge of making exercise a part of daily life we have to tackle the mindset of exercise first. Listen to the words you say and the thoughts you have in regards to exercise. How do you expect to stick with exercise long term if you're constantly telling yourself how you hate exercise. If you focus on how uncomfortable you are during exercise you're likely to miss how much better you feel when you exercise. Think about the person you want to be when your goals are met - how does that person think and behave?
As I posted in the first Scary Health & Wellness post: we can't deal with only diet and exercise, ignore the mental aspect, and expect to have long lasting results and change.
Next week is Part 4, so make sure to stay tuned!