Week 19 Health
2
Question: I've been trying to exer- cise regularly to lose a few pounds. After three or four work- outs, I'll take a night off to run errands or see a movie. But one night off turns into weeks off. Any sug- estions to help me stick with an exer- cise plan? Answer: Exercise shouldn't be some- thing you do only when you want to drop a dress size or prepare for the char- ity 10-kilometer run. To be successful, it should be something you do as routinely as eating, sleeping and taking your morning shower. That, as you already know, can be diffi- cult. The following health facts and exer- cise strategies may help you stay on course when your motivation starts to wane. The value of main- taining an exercise program became evi- dent in 1978 when the results of the Harvard Alumni Study were pub- lished. Men who ex- ercised enough to burn at least 2,000 calories a week were 39 percent less likely to suffer heart at- tacks than their sedentary counter- parts. A follow-up study conducted 15 years later proved that men could reap the benefits of exercise even if they weren't active in their younger years. Pre- viously sedentary men who didn't ex- ercise until after age 45 enjoyed a 23 per- cent lower rate of death than class- mates who remained inactive. Exercise has also been shown to re- duce the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, obe- sity, depression, os- teoporosis and colon cancer in both men and women. With regular exercise, women gain extra protection against breast cancer, while men lower their chance of develop- ing erectile dysfunc- tion. Best of all, you don't have to hit the gym or run for miles to get these benefits. Just 30 minutes of brisk walking a day will get you there, even if you break it into 10-minute chunks. Knowing the ben- efits of lifelong exer- cise and creating a personal exercise plan will be of little use if you don't stick to it. So choose activ- ities you enjoy that suit your lifestyle, time constraints, budget and physical condition. Next, prepare yourself for the chal- lenges that await big pr oblem? Make a detailed schedule of your week and work in blocks of exercise. Can you get up half an hour earlier for morning walks? Would this mean going to bed earlier? Be realistic. Don't schedule exercise after dinner if that's when you have to help your children with their home- work. Try to add bits of activity and recre- ational exercise to other activities -- an extra lap around the mall when you're shopping, for exam- ple. After the first week, adjust your schedule as needed. Don't expect dra- matic changes overnight -- that's a recipe for frustration and failure. Instead, set a long-term goal, such as walking for 30 minutes at least five days a week, and break it into monthly targets. During the first month, focus on walking three days a week for at least 10 minutes or longer each time. During the second month, walk four days a week. Add another day in the third month. Then, every two weeks, extend each walking session by five minut es until you reach your goal. Once you've set your goal, measure your performance. Record the number of minutes you walk each day in a daily planner, or make a simple chart that you can post on the re- frigerator. Either way, keep a written record of what you have accomplished and celebrate when you meet an exercise goal, even a short- term one. It reflects your commitment to improving your health. Pat yourself on the back in a meaningful way, such as buying a new CD to listen to while you walk. Everyone some- times goes astray . Al- most anything can knock you off track: a cold, a trip or a stretch of bad weather. If you slip out of your routine, start back gradually to give your body time to reach its pre- vious fitness level. Getting yourself back in an exercise frame of mind may be a bigger chal- lenge. Instead of feel- ing guilty and defeated, focus on the benefits of exer- cise. Once you re- sume your program, you'll be amazed at how quickly it will begin to feel natural. Here are a few tricks you might try to rekindle your moti- vation: • Think about the aspects of exercise you enjoy most. • Exercise with a friend. • If your exercise routine feels over- whelming, mentally divide it into smaller chunks. Give your- self the option of stopping at the end of each one, but try to encourage your- self to move on to the next one instead of quitting. • Rather than focus on why you don't want to exer- cise, concentrate on how good you will feel when you're fin- ished. Remember, your good health is worth the effort. OUR GOOD HEALTH Serving All Ages of Individuals & Families Since 1987 Specializing In Healing Work For: • Abuse & Trauma • Life T ransitions • Grief & Loss Unique Sand Tray Therapy Experience Available to All Clients By Appointment Only 215 Main St., Suites 3 & 5 Edith Kerby Mann, L.C.S.W. Penn Yan Counselor (315) 536-7329 Sand Tray Therapist Seneca Lake Terrace We offer beautifully designed private apartments in a neighborhood setting. Seneca Lake Terrace 3670 PreEmption Rd., Geneva • 315-789-4162 Visit us on the Internet at www.senecalaketerrace.com • 24 hour security • Deliciously prepared restaurant style meals served • All housekeeping, laundry and linen provided • Dynamic activities program • Beauty Salon, Ice Cream Parlor , Chapel • Outdoor Gardens and enclosed patios • Caregivers available Come see why so many have chosen Keep pace with your exercise regimen By the faculty of Harvard Medical School Copyright 2008 the President and Fellows of Harvard Wednesday, May 9, 2012 • Chronicle-Express.com • The Chronicle-Express B4
-
Upload
chronicleads1 -
Category
Documents
-
view
218 -
download
0
Transcript of Week 19 Health
8/2/2019 Week 19 Health
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/week-19-health 1/1
Question: I'vebeen trying to exer-cise regularly to losea few pounds. After three or four work-outs, I'll take a night off to run errands or see a movie. But onenight off turns intoweeks off. Any sug-estions to help me
stick with an exer-cise plan?
Answer: Exerciseshouldn't be some-thing you do only
when you want todrop a dress size orprepare for the char-ity 10-kilometer run.To be successful, itshould be somethingyou do as routinelyas eating, sleepingand taking yourmorning shower.That, as you alreadyknow, can be diffi-cult. The followinghealth facts and exer-
cise strategies mayhelp you stay oncourse when yourmotivation starts to
wane.The value of main-
taining an exerciseprogram became evi-dent in 1978 whenthe results of theHarvard AlumniStudy were pub-lished. Men who ex-ercised enough to
burn at least 2,000calories a week were39 percent less likelyto suffer heart at-tacks than theirsedentary counter-
parts.A follow-up studyconducted 15 yearslater proved thatmen could reap the
benefits of exerciseeven if they weren'tactive in theiryounger years. Pre-viously sedentarymen who didn't ex-ercise until after age45 enjoyed a 23 per-cent lower rate of
death than class-mates who remainedinactive.
Exercise has also been shown to re-duce the risk of high
blood pressure,stroke, diabetes, obe-sity, depression, os-teoporosis and coloncancer in both menand women. Withregular exercise,women gain extraprotection against
breast cancer, whilemen lower theirchance of develop-ing erectile dysfunc-tion. Best of all, youdon't have to hit thegym or run for milesto get these benefits.
Just 30 minutes of brisk walking a daywill get you there,even if you break itinto 10-minutechunks.
Knowing the ben-efits of lifelong exer-cise and creating a
personal exerciseplan will be of littleuse if you don't stick to it. So choose activ-ities you enjoy thatsuit your lifestyle,time constraints,
budget and physicalcondition.
Next, prepareyourself for the chal-lenges that awaityou so you won't bethrown off track. Are
time constraints a
big problem? Make adetailed schedule of your week and work in blocks of exercise.Can you get up half an hour earlier formorning walks?Would this meangoing to bed earlier?
Be realistic. Don'tschedule exerciseafter dinner if that'swhen you have tohelp your childrenwith their home-work. Try to add bits
of activity and recre-ational exercise toother activities -- anextra lap around themall when you'reshopping, for exam-ple. After the firstweek, adjust yourschedule as needed.
Don't expect dra-matic changesovernight -- that's arecipe for frustrationand failure. Instead,
set a long-term goal,such as walking for30 minutes at leastfive days a week,and break it intomonthly targets.During the firstmonth, focus onwalking three days aweek for at least 10minutes or longereach time. Duringthe second month,
walk four days aweek. Add anotherday in the thirdmonth. Then, everytwo weeks, extendeach walking session
by five minutes untilyou reach your goal.
Once you've setyour goal, measureyour performance.Record the numberof minutes you walk each day in a daily
planner, or make asimple chart that youcan post on the re-frigerator. Eitherway, keep a writtenrecord of what youhave accomplishedand celebrate whenyou meet an exercise
goal, even a short-term one. It reflectsyour commitment toimproving yourhealth. Pat yourself on the back in ameaningful way,such as buying anew CD to listen towhile you walk.
Everyone some-times goes astray. Al-most anything canknock you off track:a cold, a trip or astretch of bad
weather. If you slipout of your routine,start back graduallyto give your bodytime to reach its pre-vious fitness level.
Getting yourself back in an exerciseframe of mind may
be a bigger chal-lenge. Instead of feel-ing guilty anddefeated, focus onthe benefits of exer-
cise. Once you re-sume your program,you'll be amazed athow quickly it will
begin to feel natural.Here are a few tricksyou might try torekindle your moti-vation:
• Think about theaspects of exerciseyou enjoy most.
• Exercise with a
friend.• If your exerciseroutine feels over-whelming, mentallydivide it into smallerchunks. Give your-self the option of stopping at the endof each one, but tryto encourage your-self to move on tothe next one insteadof quitting.
• Rather than
focus on why youdon't want to exer-cise, concentrate onhow good you willfeel when you're fin-ished.
Remember, yourgood health is worththe effort.
OUR GOOD HEALTH
2 Rubin Dr., Rushville Open Mon.-Sat.
Expanded Hours for your convenience:
Mon-Thurs 7:30am-7pm; Fri 7:30am-5pm; Sat. 8am-12pm
Call 585-554-4400 to schedule an appointment.
Currently accepting new Medical and Dental patients.
Accepting all insurances, including Medicaid &
Medicare. Sliding fee discounts available to
qualifying patients with no, or limited, insurance.
Dr. Kim Healy
134 Lake Street Penn Yan, NY 14527
315-536-3700
Serving All Ages of Individuals & Families Since 1987 Specializing In Healing Work For:
• Abuse & Trauma • Life Transitions • Grief & Loss Unique Sand Tray Therapy Experience Available
to All Clients By Appointment Only
215 Main St., Suites 3 & 5 Edith Kerby Mann, L.C.S.W. Penn Yan Counselor (315) 536-7329 Sand Tray Therapist
Seneca Lake Terrace We offer beautifully designed privateapartments in a neighborhood setting.
Seneca Lake Terrace 3670 PreEmption Rd., Geneva • 315-789-4162
Visit us on the Internet at www.senecalaketerrace.com
• 24 hour security • Deliciously prepared restaurant style
meals served • All housekeeping, laundry and linen
provided • Dynamic activities program
• Beauty Salon, Ice Cream Parlor, Chapel • Outdoor Gardens and enclosed patios
• Caregivers available Come see why so many have chosen
PENN YAN
COMMUNITY HEALTH
Yates Family Planning is now
SAME location, SAME providers,
MORE services!
ACCEPTING
NEW PATIENTS • Still offering complete family
planning and reproductive services
• Now offering FULL medicalservices as well
• Accepting Medicaid, Child HealthPlus and most other insurances
• Generous sliding fee scalefor those without insurance.
• Full dental services COMING SOON!
160 Main Street
Penn Yan (315) 536-2752
Keep pace with your exercise regimenBy the faculty of Harvard Medical School
Copyright 2008 the President and Fellows of HarvardCollege. Developed by Harvard Health Publications(www.health.harvard.edu).
Distributed by UFS. Submit questions to har-vard_adviser@hms. harvard.edu.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 • Chronicle-Express.com • The Chronicle-ExpressB4
