Tips for Increasing Physical Activity

Make physical activity a regular part of the day.

Choose activities that you enjoy and can do regularly. Fitting activity into a daily routine can be easy—such as taking a brisk 10 minute walk to and from the parking lot, bus stop, or subway station. Or, join an exercise class. Keep it interesting by trying something different on alternate days. What’s important is to be active most days of the week and make it part of daily routine. For example, to reach a 30-minute goal for the day, walk the dog for 10 minutes before and after work, and add a 10 minute walk at lunchtime. Or, swim 3 times a week and take a yoga class on the other days. Make sure to do at least 10 minutes of the activity at a time, shorter bursts of activity will not have the same health benefits. To be ready anytime, keep some comfortable clothes and a pair of walking or running shoes in the car and at the office.

More ways to increase your physical activity.

At home:
•Join a walking group in the neighborhood or at the local shopping mall. Recruit a partner for support and encouragement.
•Push the baby in a stroller.
•Get the whole family involved—enjoy an afternoon bike ride with your kids.
•Walk up and down the soccer or softball field sidelines while watching the kids play.
•Walk the dog—don’t just watch the dog walk.
•Clean the house or wash the car.
•Walk, skate, or cycle more, and drive less.
•Do stretches, exercises, or pedal a stationary bike while watching television.
•Mow the lawn with a push mower.
•Plant and care for a vegetable or flower garden
•Play with the kids—tumble in the leaves, build a snowman, splash in a puddle, or dance to favorite music.

At work:
•Get off the bus or subway one stop early and walk or skate the rest of the way.
•Replace a coffee break with a brisk 10-minute walk. Ask a friend to go with you.
•Take part in an exercise program at work or a nearby gym.
•Join the office softball or bowling team.

At play:
•Walk, jog, skate, or cycle.
•Swim or do water aerobics.
•Take a class in martial arts, dance, or yoga.
•Golf (pull cart or carry clubs).
•Canoe, row, or kayak.
•Play racket ball, tennis, or squash.
•Ski cross-country or downhill.
•Play basketball, softball, or soccer.
•Hand cycle or play wheelchair sports.
•Take a nature walk.
•Most important – have fun while being active!

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Walking Helps Fibromyalgia

Doctors now know that starting an exercise program may not be easy but it is essential in battling fibromyalgia and keeping patients healthy. To someone suffering with Fibromyalgia the thought of exercise may be at first a foreign concept.

Lynne Matallana, president and founder of the National Fibromyalgia Association says, "If you have fibromyalgia, you have this amplified pain signal telling you that something is wrong and it's a natural instinct to want to protect your body by going to bed, but that actually makes pain worse."

Walking is a great, moderate exercise that can be done at any speed, from a slow stroll progressing up to speed walking if desirable. While walking, the body is restored to a normal neurochemical balance, creating mood enhancing substances like serotonin which induces a more positive emotional state.

Sufferers of fibromyalgia need exercise for the very same reasons as the general population, however their approach to exercise must be more cautious, controlled and disciplined.

# 1 Weight Loss Tip

Thanks Erin, I couldn't say it better myself!

The Obesity Effect

Odds are good that if you step on the scale this morning, you are not going to like what you see. It’s gotten so bad that the Center for Disease Control now estimates that 1/3 of American adults are overweight; another 1/3 are obese.


Why is obesity such a concern? The health data is so alarming. It’s an epidemic that is causing concern at the highest levels of government. It has an impact on so many areas, cost, quality of life and productive workforce. We are really putting ourselves at such a huge disadvantage in a global economy by having a nation that is vastly overweight.

Dr. David Thatcher, previous Surgeon General of The United States says, “We have addicted ourselves and our children to sedentary lifestyles and diets that are high in fats, salt and sugar.”

Obesity dramatically increases the risk of diabetes. It increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension and many forms of cancer. Think about the costs of healthcare and the role chronic diseases play. Obesity is a major factor in all the diseases just listed.

Healthcare costs are staggering. About 147 billion dollars a year are spent directly related to obesity and the underlying related health conditions

Adult obesity rates have doubled in the past 30 years. We’ve been grabbing food on the go, sometimes supersized instead of sitting down to that home cooked family meal. On average, we consume 300 more calories every day than 25 years ago, and we are not burning them off. Today, we spend less time walking and more time driving, sitting in front of the computer or TV.

Food retailers do have a role. When consumers choose more and more fresh, unprocessed whole foods, the retailers will fall in line to provide what you buy. Even if fresh foods cost more, it’s worth it. It’s going to cost you one way or another, either your health or money. Either way you pay. It’s best to pay on the front end, buying nutritious foods. And those backend healthcare costs may only get bigger. In children, obesity rates are about 4 times higher than they were 40 years ago.

Part of the problem is that we don’t see the full impact of obesity in children until many decades later. So the children who are now growing up obese are 20 to 30 years down the road going to have horrendous problems that we’ve really not seen before.

So, what can we do? Maybe taxing sugary drinks like soda would help, as Washington State has done. But the beverage industry has successfully fought such a tax in several other states. Meanwhile, at the White House, the first family is leading by example. The First Lady has made fighting childhood obesity her signature effort with her “lets move” campaign, which encourages kids to get more physical activity. 1/3 of today’s children and adolescents are overweight or obese.

With ballooning healthcare costs and threat of crippling disease, we need to act soon. We have a generation of children alive today who may live shorter lifespans than their parents, for the first time in 200 years, and the major cause for that is obesity.