3 Steps for a Healthy Lifestyle

For many people living an active lifestyle is a challenge. Between work, school, and family responsibilities, finding the time to also workout can seem impossible. This short article is designed to help you start.

I have often seen that starting can be the hardest part. When I think of all the reasons not to do an activity or try something new it's easy to play it safe. Stay home. Never get out of bed.

We have all felt the fear of failure, loss, or humiliation. But when we heed our fears we take their advice. Our fears keep us from trying new things and progression. To combat these feelings when it comes to exercise you need to know three things:

1. What are the benefits of exercise for me?
2. How much activity do I need to reach my goals?
3. What activites help me live an active lifestyle?

What are the benefits of exercise?

The benefits of exercise generally fall into two categories: immediate and chronic. Immediate benefits occur after a single moderate or vigorous exercise session. Chronic benefits occur gradually over time. Both are great reasons to start today and feel good about building a routine that works around your life for the future.

Immediate benefits include better sleep quality, improved cognition on the day you work out, and decreased feelings of anxiety. I don't know about you but I love sleep. I also love feeling at peace. And who doesn't need a cognitive boost on a daily basis? Starting can be hard, but some results come quickly and intesify the more you exercise.

Chronic benefits include improved bone strength for children, improved muscular and aerobic capacity, decreased risk for all cause mortality, decreased risk for type 2 diabetes and hypertension, increased cognition, weight loss/management, lower risk of falls, reduced risk for depression, lower risk of dying from cancer, and improved quality of life. This is really just the tip of the iceberg (HHS, 2018).

Not only will health improve but other aspects of life right along with it. Getting active means spending time outdoors, being with family and friends, enjoying a new hobby, and feeling great about yourself in the process.

Hoe much activity do I need to help me reach my goals?

This in many ways is the million dollar question. The answer is it depends. What is your main goal? Do you just want to get fit and feel better? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to gain muscle, increase speed, or become more agile? Exercising for performance and exercising for general fitness are totally different. 

The ACSM recommends the following weekly time frames for specific exercise types and intensities (Garber et al., 2011):

• Moderate cardiorespirstory exercise 30 min per day, 5 days per week >150 min per week
• OR virgorous intensity 70 min per eeek
• OR a combination of moderate/vigorous for a total of 500-100 MET•min•week
• Resistance training that chalenges balance and agility for all major muscle groups 2-3 days per week 
• Flexibikity training for the major muscle-tendon groups >2 days per week

What activities do I need to help me reach my goals?

The activities you will need depend on your age and your goals. Exercising for improved health outcomes and exercising for increased performance are two separate things. For the general population, the Department of Health and Human Services publishes guidelines for age categories to meet for improved health outcomes.

Children ages 6-17

• 60 minutes of aerobic activity per dayincluding games and outdoor play
• 3 days per week of structured or unstructed resistance training including climbing, tugging, pulling, or traditional weight lifting
• 3 days per week of bone strengthening including hopping, ruining, jumping, and skipping

Adults

• Aerobic activity including running, cycling, swimming, hiking, gardening, walking, and rowing to name a few
• Resistance training including HIIT, circuit training, Cross Fit, weight lifting, and manual labor
• Flexibility training including dancing, yoga, tai chi, and stretching

I hope you enjoyed this article on how to get active. Feel free to co tech me for more tips or schedule a personal training session. I'll help you reach your fitness goals and feel good about your progress towards a better life.

Sources

Garber, C. E., Blissmer, B., Deschenes, M. R., Franklin, B. A., Lamonte, M. J., Lee, I. M., ... & Swain, D. P. (2011). Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise.

Piercy, K. L., Troiano, R. P., Ballard, R. M., Carlson, S. A., Fulton, J. E., Galuska, D. A., ... & Olson, R. D. (2018). The physical activity guidelines for Americans. Jama, 320(19), 2020-2028.