Get Moving and Get Healthy

As many of you know, I ran a half marathon last year with my son Sean. I did a lot of research into exercise before starting my training. I'd like to tell you it was a breeze, but it wasn't. Many days I had to push myself to train. I was one of the last through the finish line but the goal I set for myself was to actually finish, and I achieved that goal. During the time that I was training, I did notice that I had more energy, slept better and lost weight.

Why should you exercise? Heart disease and stroke are two of the leading causes of death in the United States. According to the American Heart Association one in three deaths in the United States are caused by heart disease. A stroke happens every 40 minutes. 92.1 million Americans are living with some form of heart disease or after effects of a stroke.

Exercising at least 30 minutes, five times a week reduces your risk of developing these diseases by lowering your blood pressure and improving your cholesterol. Regular exercise reduces your risk for developing diabetes, or if you are one of the 29 million people in the United States with diabetes, exercise can help you keep your blood sugar numbers lower. It can also reduce your risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer.

Exercise can strengthen your bones and muscles by slowing the loss of bone density which reduces the risk of fractures from osteoporosis. Arthritis is improved by keeping your joints more mobile so you can still perform daily routines and improves your ability to manage pain. Depression, anxiety and insomnia seem to improve with daily exercise. Exercise improves your chances of living longer with a better quality of life.

I'm positive that I have all of you motivated to start exercising! How should you start an exercise program? First, talk to your medical provider. There certain medical conditions can cause some limitations.

You should choose a goal next. Do you want to run a marathon, lose weight, improve arthritis, get stronger, improve balance or improve your ability to walk around the grocery store without getting short of breath? Setting a goal will help you choose what type of exercise you should be doing.

Plan when you will be exercising. Setting a time aside to exercise will make it more likely that you will exercise. Start slow and build up gradually! If you can only walk for five minutes before needing to rest, start with that and increase by five minutes each week. Listen to your body and take breaks if you need to.

Be creative by including various activities into your workout. Break things up if you have to, shorter 10-minute sessions three times daily may fit into your schedule better than a 30-minute session.

If you lose motivation, set a new goal, do a new activity, join a class or exercise with a friend.

Get moving and get healthy,

Lynne