Let's talk about exercise. Many people think they can eat whatever they want and just "exercise it off". If only that were true. A truly healthy lifestyle consists of 80% diet and 20% exercise. The food we put in our mouth has the biggest impact on our health. Now, don't get me wrong, exercise is number 2 on the list.
Exercise will give us so many benefits:
It's important to choose something you will enjoy doing. Now, you may not "enjoy" it in the beginning stages, but IF you do it CONSISTENTLY (this is key), your body will actually CRAVE exercise. I personally decided to start running...three years ago the Freihofer's Run for Women offered a training program called From Couch to 5K which I joined. I never ran in my life...however, I participated in this program, and I'm not in my 20's or my 30's. At first, I thought, this is not for me....it's hard to breathe, how will I ever run 3 miles continually?
Well, that was 3 years ago and 3 Freihofer races later, and I am here to tell you I improved with each race. But, I still could not say I LOVE RUNNING because up until a few months ago, I didn't even really like it! However, this past summer I ran consistently, (5-6 times a week vs. 2-3 times a week) and what a DIFFERENCE this made!! I am so much better than I was, I can honestly say I love to run now....who would have thought?? As a matter of fact, one of my friends and I signed up for the Troy Turkey Trot...and we will be running the 10K!! That's BIG for me. We run three times a week as a group, and on the other days, I still run....like anything else, the more you do something, the better you get at it.
Now, you don't have to run to reap the benefits. Walking is the easiest and cheapest exercise anyone can do. Not only can anyone do it, but it will get you outside breathing fresh air! If you choose walking, you want to walk briskly...get your heart rate up and sweat a little bit. When you raise your heart rate, oxygen will be delivered to all parts of your body...remember cancer hates oxygen..it cannot thrive in an oxygen-rich environment.
After doing all this hard work, think before your eat....if you have:
These statistics came from Women's Health based on a 130 pound female.
No thank you! It only takes minutes to eat this stuff and look how long it would take to try and "exercise" it off. And, of course, after all this exercising, it will only bring you back to where you started before you ate all those calories! However, the cholesterol and saturated fat you would be consuming with most of these foods is not going anywhere but in your arteries. The only way to prevent cholesterol from getting in your arteries is not to eat it in the first place.
Yes, I believe exercise is essential for a healthy lifestyle. You should try and get AT LEAST 30 minutes of some kind of exercise each day (raising your heart rate). Make it a priority...you can find 30 minutes a day to get out and walk. Do whatever works for you....sometimes I have to get out and run at 6 am in order to fit it in my schedule...other times I have to bring a change of clothes to work with me and at 5:00 I run out the back door and get my 3 miles in. You have to make it a priority or it just won't get done.
Believe me, the 30 minutes you set aside for exercise will be the BEST 30 minutes of your day!
Exercise will give us so many benefits:
- Corrects bad health habits by stabilizing blood sugar levels
- Improves immune function and lymph flow
- Gets oxygen to all parts of the body(cancer hates oxygen)
- Strengthens bones
- Helps us deal with stress
- Increases quality and quantity of sleep
- Speeds the passage of carcinogens and toxins from the body
- Keeps your brain fit
- Prevents wide ranges of diseases
- Improves appearance
It's important to choose something you will enjoy doing. Now, you may not "enjoy" it in the beginning stages, but IF you do it CONSISTENTLY (this is key), your body will actually CRAVE exercise. I personally decided to start running...three years ago the Freihofer's Run for Women offered a training program called From Couch to 5K which I joined. I never ran in my life...however, I participated in this program, and I'm not in my 20's or my 30's. At first, I thought, this is not for me....it's hard to breathe, how will I ever run 3 miles continually?
Well, that was 3 years ago and 3 Freihofer races later, and I am here to tell you I improved with each race. But, I still could not say I LOVE RUNNING because up until a few months ago, I didn't even really like it! However, this past summer I ran consistently, (5-6 times a week vs. 2-3 times a week) and what a DIFFERENCE this made!! I am so much better than I was, I can honestly say I love to run now....who would have thought?? As a matter of fact, one of my friends and I signed up for the Troy Turkey Trot...and we will be running the 10K!! That's BIG for me. We run three times a week as a group, and on the other days, I still run....like anything else, the more you do something, the better you get at it.
Now, you don't have to run to reap the benefits. Walking is the easiest and cheapest exercise anyone can do. Not only can anyone do it, but it will get you outside breathing fresh air! If you choose walking, you want to walk briskly...get your heart rate up and sweat a little bit. When you raise your heart rate, oxygen will be delivered to all parts of your body...remember cancer hates oxygen..it cannot thrive in an oxygen-rich environment.
After doing all this hard work, think before your eat....if you have:
- 1 glazed doughnut (242 calories)=88 minutes of crunches
- Cheeseburger and fries (691 calories)=141 minutes on an elliptical
- Small fried chicken breast (444 calories)=65 minutes on a bike
- Slice of cheesecake (710 calories)=143 minutes of brisk walking
- Milkshake (780 calories)=72 minutes of jump rope
- 2 slices of pepperoni pizza (626 calories)=159 minutes of stair climbing
- Chicken burrito (1,175 calories)=122 minutes of running
- Chips and queso (740 calories)=130 minutes of swimming
- 16 ounce frappuccino (500 calories)=170 minutes of pilates
- 21 ounce soda (200 calories)-54 minutes of lunges
These statistics came from Women's Health based on a 130 pound female.
No thank you! It only takes minutes to eat this stuff and look how long it would take to try and "exercise" it off. And, of course, after all this exercising, it will only bring you back to where you started before you ate all those calories! However, the cholesterol and saturated fat you would be consuming with most of these foods is not going anywhere but in your arteries. The only way to prevent cholesterol from getting in your arteries is not to eat it in the first place.
Yes, I believe exercise is essential for a healthy lifestyle. You should try and get AT LEAST 30 minutes of some kind of exercise each day (raising your heart rate). Make it a priority...you can find 30 minutes a day to get out and walk. Do whatever works for you....sometimes I have to get out and run at 6 am in order to fit it in my schedule...other times I have to bring a change of clothes to work with me and at 5:00 I run out the back door and get my 3 miles in. You have to make it a priority or it just won't get done.
Believe me, the 30 minutes you set aside for exercise will be the BEST 30 minutes of your day!