Wellness #40: Fitness

Lumpini Joggers, originally uploaded by rutthenut.

"Exercise?! What's in it for me?" This is something many of us may ask when physical fitness is mentioned. There are many proven health benefits for even moderate amounts of physical activity. For example, regular walking is good for your heart and helps prevent osteoporosis. You can even exercise while sitting at your desk!

Here are a few health benefits of exercise and physical activity from the website of the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State University:

• Reduce the risk of premature death


• Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease


• Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high blood pressure


• Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high cholesterol


• Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast cancer


• Reduce the risk of developing diabetes


• Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat


• Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints


• Reduce depression and anxiety


• Improve psychological well-being


• Enhance work, recreation, and sports performance

"OK, so how do I get started?" you may be asking. Never fear, the Internet is here with helpful websites on how to start and stick with an exercise program.

The Mayo Clinic offers 5 steps to getting started on a fitness program from assessing your fitness level to monitoring your progress.

Familydoctor.org discusses how to start and stick with an exercise program. It touches upon target heart rate and injury prevention.

This helpful site from primusweb discusses how to think F.I.T. and stay motivated.

Treadmill Talk, originally uploaded by sirwiseowl.

The Walking Site offers information on how to begin a fitness walking program. Start out slow and easy.

Exercise at your desk! This DIY site offers links on how to get a workout while at work.

Exercise Prescription on the Net is a free resource for the fitness enthusiast, coach or fitness professional.

Activities:

Take a look at the fitness calculators on ExRx.net.

1. Check your BMI

2. Calculate your calorie requirements

3. Answer a questionnaire to determine your health age or life expectancy.

Were you surprised by the results? Do you feel motivated to change your eating habits or implement an exercise routine after completing these activities? Write a blog post about your goals after finding out your results.

This post was brought to you by Mark Haywood (ALD).