The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." The word complete widens what it means to be healthy, including a large list of illnesses, including diabetes and arthritis, as well as fitness and lifestyle choices.
According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, physical fitness helps you perform according to your full potential, and being fit is a major part of health and well-being.
The American Heart Association reports that physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease, and heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. An increase in physical activity lowers your risk of heart disease by improving heart efficiency and blood circulation, improving cholesterol levels, increasing muscle strength, managing high blood pressure and managing stress.Many other .gov and .org websites from the White House to the American Diabetes Organization agree. It's been proven beyond doubt that increasing and maintaining physical fitness reduces the risks of heart disease, obesity-related diseases as well as a slew of other. A healthy body also reduces and retards symptoms of depression and anxiety, improves quality of life and decreases costs of health care expenses.
Physical fitness often brings an instant image of sweaty workouts, out of breath panting, weak legs and exhaustion. Who wants that?
Exercise that looks like work causes you to avoid it at all costs. That's a huge problem, isn't it?
I know, because that's how I used to feel. You can choose activities that you enjoy and can do regularly.
It's true. You can fit more physical activity into a daily routine in different ways, such as parking a little farther from the mall entrance and walking.
Exercise is fun when you focus your mind on being active, rather than getting sweaty, breathless and doing the typical gym workouts.
There are lots of ways to be active. You can join a local fitness center. Take an exercise class with a friend You can hire a physical fitness trainer. Participate in water aerobics. Take a class in martial arts, dance or yoga. Play racket ball or tennis. Garden outside or inside.
If you feel tired just thinking about even being a little active, start small. Once a week for ten minutes. Graduate to two days, then three. The important part is "making the time." Once you're in the habit of making time, you can move up from 10 minutes to 15, 20, 30. See what I mean?
Start with 10 minutes of activity at a time. For example, go for a short walk around the house before and after work, or add a 10-minute walk at lunchtime to your weekly goal.
What It Takes to Lose Weight
Some people exercise to lose weight. Losing weight is all about numbers: Did you know that you need to burn 3,500 calories to lose just one pound? Yikes! That's a lot!!! You can do it by eating less or exercising more. It's up to you. There is no one right way to lose weight. So much depends on finding out what works for you. But there is widespread agreement among experts that dropping a few pounds -- and keeping them off -- can have tremendous health benefits. For people living with diabetes, losing weight can't reverse the disease, but maintaining a healthy weight can help slow its progression and delay the need for medication.
Some people exercise to lose weight. Losing weight is all about numbers: Did you know that you need to burn 3,500 calories to lose just one pound? Yikes! That's a lot!!! You can do it by eating less or exercising more. It's up to you. There is no one right way to lose weight. So much depends on finding out what works for you. But there is widespread agreement among experts that dropping a few pounds -- and keeping them off -- can have tremendous health benefits. For people living with diabetes, losing weight can't reverse the disease, but maintaining a healthy weight can help slow its progression and delay the need for medication.
You don't need to travel to the gym. You don't need bar bells, the running track or even treadmill. The absolute best exercise is the one YOU do everyday. Whatever that is for you. Do it everyday. I like to ride the stationary bike with my dog, Bailey.
There is more to being active than the obvious. For example, I love to cook, so I created a way to get more active when I'm in the kitchen. I notice a change in my glucose levels when I clean the house. That's activity that I can measure.
Most everyone agrees physical fitness means active and that's another word for exercise. Exercise refers to NOT laying around watching TV or lounging in a comfy chair reading a good book. Although these are fine activities, they are not the same as being "active."
What's the best exercise? I don't know what it means for others, but for me, I think "active" means doing something that I enjoy.
I enjoy writing, but sitting in front of my computer is hardly being active... I needed to find something that gets me up away from my computer. My honey loves golf, so for him, it's easy to get exercise when he plays golf.
Believe me when I say that for most of my life, I didn't give much thought to the lifestyle choices I made... from getting enough rest to the food I ate and the exercise or lack of it that I did. I was always healthy. I always felt healthy.
Health and Fitness
I never even thought about diabetes, arthritis, thinning hair, blurry vision, aching bones, bad teeth, foot pain. Do you? As a diabetic, I know good health starts with common sense. No head in the sand for me, not anymore. Good mental health about life and your home, personal finances is important, as well as being flexible, adjusting your future to ever-evolving change to today's economy.
Health means eating right, insuring you get the vitamins your body needs, exercising, feeling well and being the best good example you can. You want to monitor and manage your body and your body's health. That includes watching for symptoms in common ailments and diseases. Good health also means taking care of your body.
My Story
A few months after the doctor's appointment when it was confirmed that I had diabetes, I had the awakening of my life. One morning before breakfast. I was feeling pretty good, so I made myself a cinnamon raisin bagel slathered with butter, and chummed it up with a glass of orange juice.
When I tested my blood glucose a couple of hours later (just before lunch), I was at 207. I was shocked at the spike. I decided to get on my stationery bike right then. I peddled for just 30 minutes and tested again. When I tested again, my glucose was at 144.
That's the day I really woke up. I realized what a ginormous impact exercise has on the body. It really is good. Exercise really does make a difference. I rarely miss a day of exercise since.
Diabetes is serious. There is no cure, but it can be managed. Above all, get to a doctor and follow your doctor's prescription. You want to eat the right food, exercise and get the support you need to lighten the load and contribute to your happy mental health.
I now am face-to -face with the daily goal of exercise. One of the hurdles for me and probably a lot of people with diabetes is that you feel tired most of the time. I know I did (in the beginning). Sometimes I still do.
It's difficult to think about being active when your body feels like laying down to rest. This is especially true when you associate being active with the word, "Exercise." Your body feels tired, and thinking about exercise as activity usually makes your mind feel tired, too. Food makes you feel better. You eat. Maybe gain a few pounds. You need to exercise to keep the weight off. It's a cycle.
If you live a sedentary lifestyle (sitting with my computer most of the day) like I do, this wisdom can save your life. You will feel empowered. You will actually love to be active. It actually doesn't take as much effort. My issue is stopping my tippy-tapping. I'm one of those freaks who would skip eating if I could. I am glued to my laptop keyboard. I write and when I write, I can't stop. That's all there is to it.
It sure feels like there are lots of rules and "do this or that." But the tradeoff is how you feel and how you want to feel. I just wanted to feel good without pain and suffering.
Only YOU can decide what food choices you want to make for yourself. Ask yourself what you are willing to do to feel full of energy... and avoid possible health problems that poor food choices may present.
The Internet is a huge bucket of knowledge. I should have educated myself long ago. I had a connection to the Internet so it cost me nothing to learn how to choose the right foods and be healthy. Reduce fat, sugar, carbohydrate in my meals. Sounds simple.
It may sound obvious, but the best and only real way to be healthy is to be proactive in your own life. I wasn't. I lived day to day giving little thought to what I ate and how I exercised. My body rebelled and now I have health issues that cost me a whole lot of money. Money that could be earning interest in an investment. Money I could be saving, but instead I am paying for prescriptions, hospital and doctor visits.
My Fitness Plans
My recipe for fitness starts with my lifestyle choices, good nutrition (the food I eat and don't eat) and an exercise plan I can actually do. I have three plans that I alternate depending on how I feel.
He loves the treadmill. All I have to say is "Exercise" and he runs into the exercise room and jumps up on the treadmill runner. By the time I catch up, the first thing I see is Bailey with his big doggie smile waiting to do his exercise with me. It is a joy to see him so happy and excited.
I started my fitness plan by investing just 15 minutes three times a week. Believe me, I was breathless doing just that. I worked up, adding time slowly, until I biked 30 minutes every single day without much effort. I allow myself to skip one or two days if needed, but I always do 30 minutes 5 days per week, every week. My dietician recommends mid-day, so my plan begins at 1pm.
I admit that I grew to ignore all the claims that I need to eat right and exercise. It just seemed like so much hooey. But then I was diagnosed with diabetes. Now, I have exercise or fitness plans. One plan doesn't count, because it's a 'do nothing today' plan. [You know, it's the I need a break today plan].
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| Click to learn more about this bike |
Plan 1: My Peddle Plan
Unless I am totally into plan 3, I follow plan 1, which involves moving my arms and legs on my Schwinn stationery bike while watching HGTV.
This plan is so mild that it is fairly easy to do. Biking in the comfort of my home while watching a fun show such as HGTV or the Food Network makes the time go by lickity split. This is my main plan. I bike with Bailey (he runs the treadmill) for 30 minutes.
Plan 2: The Steven Plan
It's my most aggressive plan. It's the Steven Plan. Here it is:
Bike or Treadmill = 30 minutes
3 lb. bar bells = 1 set of 10 arm pulls
Sit ups = 1 set of 10
Fitness Stick thingie = 3 sets of 10 bends
Big blue ball = 30 sit and bounces
This plan gives me the aerobics I need and some firming exercises. I round out this plan with a fruit smoothie as a reward for finishing.
I belong to a family of health conscious people: Son Tim also loves to jog, and my girl child goes to the gym every morning. She is fit and fine. I don't think I can take credit for their focus on fitness... but I will [smile].
I generally exercise every day and rarely skip even though the recommendation is 5 days. This plan is what my doctor recommends. It's biking or walking for a minimum of 60 minutes. She says I can break it up into two sets of 30 minutes each: 30 minutes at 1pm and 30 minutes after dinner before bed around 8 pm. This second set helps to lower my wake-up glucose reading in the morning.
To any plan I choose for the day, I schedule a brief go-for-a-walk around the neighborhood with my dog, Bailey if weather permits. It's good for him and gets me moving and grooving, too. The problem with the walk is that it is very hot here in Texas. This means, I don't take Bailey for a walk outdoors as often as I'd like in the summer. My solution is a 10-minute walk. Get out, get back. This gives him the fun and small walking exercise without being in the heat for too long. He gobbles ice cubes when we get home.
That's my plan. It doesn't take much time. I mix it up with Bailey and TV enjoyment so it doesn't feel like a chore.
Good health should never be a chore. It's like a savings account: Bank "good health" throughout life and good health will be there for you when you need it most later in life.
Plan to be happy: This is essential for good health and fitness. I am generally happy person. I've learned that it's an attitude, a choice -- otherwise I would have been lost years ago. I want to be happy. I plan to be happy. I choose to be happy -- no matter what happens. Put that happy smile on your face every day. Boost your endorphins.
Have you heard about Endorphins? Endorphins are neurotransmitters, a chemical in the brain. Endorphins transmit electrical signals using the body's nervous system like a telegraph. Endorphins can be found in the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is a small organ in the brain that controls a multitude of important functions in the body. One is what I call the happy function.
You see, when endorphins release or transmit signals throughout the body, one of the outcomes is that people feel happy. What you want to do is stimulate your body to release endorphins, so you can chase away the blues and curve your mouth into a big smile.
There are several ways to get that happy feeling... anytime, even when you're down and sad. Here are three of the easiest ways:
1. Spicy food. Chili peppers are known to release endorphins. In fact, the spicier the pepper, the more endorphins your body releases.
2. Chocolate. Many people gobble pieces of chocolate when they're sad. It's because chocolate releases endorphins. People feel better after eating chocolate even when they're stressed or grieving.
3. Physical activity. Jump up and down, do jumping jacks, and jog to coax endorphins to get going through your nervous system to create that happy feeling in your brain. Keep in mind that people are different. This means that the same level of activity affects people differently with a higher or lower release of endorphins.
Here are nine more ways to maintain good health and fitness.
Did you know that your fingernails are a gauge for your body's health? Go ahead. Glance at your fingernails right now. Do they look good? Strong? Healthy? Do you see any ridges, nail dents or any unusual color? Do your fingernails break and crack easily? Take care of your fingernails.
Have you been wearing the same type undies for years? Did you know that those panties, thongs, boxer shorts and briefs may breed bacteria? Don't wear bad underwear
Does anyone think about how often to wash your hair, or do you wash your hair on a schedule such as every Tuesday and Friday? Do you wait to wash your hair until you feel it needs washing? Most people are probably guilty of both. In fact, there is a good reason to think about how often you wash your hair
Tis' the night before Christmas and everyone's snuggled in the bed for a good night's sleep. But some have trouble going to sleep. Oh no! There's evidence from medical professionals about how certain foods inhibit sleep when eaten one or two hours before bed. Know what not to eat before you go to bed
There's a reason that the bad guys torture the good guy in movies with some sort of tooth extraction instrument. Tooth pain can be so intense that if you were a secret agent in a movie, you'd gladly "spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, sing like a bird, confess, bark like a dog." Take good care of your teeth
pay a lot of attention to my feet because I have diabetes. Part of my feet have lost feeling. Definitely not fun. My fur lined slippers soothe my feet. I wear sock a lot, too. But a good pair of slippers is important for more reasons than comfort. Did you know that your feet are connected with your brain? Blood flows like a railroad track from your brain through your heart to your feet. Take good care of your feet
Do you see blood when you blow your nose on the tissue? Blow your nose the right way
How often do you sit in front of the TV with the dinner plate in your lap instead of site at the kitchen table. It feels like a ping pong ball, table yes, table no, table yes… It's not healthy to eat in front of the TV.
I have so much going on, it felt like I was washing my hands every time I turned about. That got me to thinking… whether I am washing my hands properly or am I wasting my time.Wash your hands this way.
Even when you don't feel like following a traditional exercise activity plan, there are other steps you can do to increase your body's endorphin levels. For example, acupuncture and massage therapy stimulate endorphin secretion. Meditation also increases the amount of endorphins released in your body. Happy thoughts!