Exercise for Everyone

February 18, 2009

By Stacy Tressler

We know that there are many health benefits to be gained from exercise but if it was that easy then everyone would be exercising. With all the information out there it can be hard to know exactly how much and what types of exercise we should be performing. The good news is that you do not need to go to the gym, use fancy equipment or train for a marathon in order to reap the many benefits that exercise has to offer. The most important thing to remember is that it is never to late to start exercising and that everyone can be active in some way. Getting started can seem overwhelming at first but if you are moving, you are exercising no matter how insignificant it may seem.
Some of the benefits of exercise include:

• Helps to control chronic diseases such as diabetes
• Improves your mood
  
• Improves sleep
  
• Helps with weight management
  
• Strengthens the heart and lungs
  
• Prevents osteoporosis
  
• Helps you to feel better about yourself
  
• Reduces stress
  
• Can be fun
  

For people with diabetes, exercise can be used as a tool to help manage their disease. Exercise can stabilize glucose levels, improve insulin sensitivity, improve circulation, lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol. The amount and type of exercise you need to perform will depend on your goals. The current recommendation for adults is 30 minutes of moderate exercise, most days a week. The 30 minutes can be broken down into smaller segments, for example you can take three 10-minute walks or two 15-minute walks. It is important to start slow and build up over time. If 10-minutes of walking is too much then start with walking around the block. Over time you can gradually increase the amount of time and distance until you have reached your goal.

There are a variety of moderate exercises that you can choose from and a few examples are:

• Dancing to your favorite music
• Walking
• Biking
• Playing with your children or grandchildren
• Push mowing the lawn
• Raking leaves
• Washing/waxing the car
• Swimming

If it is hard for you to set aside time to exercise, try to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. For example you can:

• March in place during t.v. commercials
• Stand/walk while talking on the phone
• Walk instead of drive to run daily errands
• Walk the dog
• Take up a hobby such as hunting, fishing or gardening

There are many reasons why people do not exercise and it might be helpful for you to recognize your reasons. If you simply do not like to exercise, find something that you like to do. If you pick an activity you enjoy you will be more likely to stick with it. Another helpful hint is to find a friend or family member to exercise with. An exercise buddy can help to motivate you, can improve your chances of sticking to your goals and can make exercising more fun.

Before starting any exercise program it is important to talk to your doctor. In the beginning make sure you set realistic goals and don’t get discouraged if you feel like you should be doing more. Remember that health is not a destination it is a journey. Every step counts and small steps can lead to great gains.

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References:
www.diabetes.org
www.cdc.gov
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/active.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-and-exercise/DA00036