Most of us are aware that it is important that we look after our bodies and ensure we are active and fit. However, the majority of us struggle to priorities exercise always putting it off until the next day and the next and the next.
Exercise doesn’t need to be hours in the gym pumping iron or pounding the treadmill. Exercise can be incorporated into your daily life and still improve your health and well being.
The human body has evolved to be naturally active and to be physically challenged on a daily basis. Our ancestors spent most of there daily lives running, walking, sprinting, climbing, chopping, lifting, dancing … they needed to be doing this to ensure survival and reproduction could take place.
Western society has come along way since our hunter-gatherer ancestors however our physiological make up has not. We still have the same skeleton, muscles, heart, lungs and brain however we are no longer challenging our body, as we do not have the survival need to do so. Instead we have cars, the Internet, video games, online shopping, takeaway deliveries, mobile phones which combined each take care of our daily survival requirements.
As much as modern technology has its huge advantages it is having a devastating impact on our mind and bodies.
Here are just a few of the modern day side effects:
• Childhood obesity is now occurring as young as the age of 2
• UK is now the fattest nation in Europe
• Increase in diabetes which is now affecting children
• Increase in certain cancers
• Increase in stress and depression
• Increase in cardiovascular illness, stroke, heart disease, hypertension
It is clear that our bodies do not know how to cope with inactivity, which is one of the risk factors of the above.
30 minutes of exercise a day will improve your lifelong health in many areas. Here are just a few key benefits:
• Maintained weight management
• Better quality sleep
• Improved mood and energy
• Increased metabolism
• Improved strength for day to day activities
• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Improved hormone activity
• Reduced risk of certain cancers
• Improved skin, hair and nails
And the list could continue. The above benefits far outweigh the risk factors and are surely worth 30 minutes of our daily time.
30 minutes of our time
There are 168 hours within our 7-day week. 30 minutes 5 days a week = 2.5 hours which accounts to 4% of your time. Are you sure you don’t have time?
30 minutes 5-7 days a week could include some of the following activities:
• Walk to the shops and back rather than drive
• Cycling with children rather than driving to the cinema
• Attending a local fitness class
• Taking the stairs rather than lift
• Going for a lunchtime walk rather than sitting at your desk
• Gardening
• Walking the dog
A small adjustment to your daily life can have huge health benefits to you and your family’s lifelong health.
Go on get moving, I promise you will enjoy it and feel very proud.
Polly Jeans
www.pollyjeanspersonaltraining.com
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