You sang the title when you read it right? I did when I wrote it. I hope you are now smiling and I hope you will feel motiviated to be phy-si-caly fit.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the fourth leading cause of death is physical inactivity! They define physical activity as : “Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure.” Plus, studies from the Annals of Internal Medicine have determined that “Prolonged sedentary time was independently associated with deleterious health outcomes regardless of physical activity.” Meaning that our current sedentary lives increase our risk for diseases, including Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers even if you do exercise. In other words, get moving and keep moving! No worries, it is easier to fix than you think.
What do we do about it?
Be mindful of how much you sit, for starters.
At the top of the hour stand up and stretch and walk around the room
Park farther away from your destination
Ditch the car and walk or bike to nearby locations
Add fun activities to your daily life such as kayaking, hiking, biking, volleyball etc. Don’t count these as exercise just remember to play!
Try using a desk designed for standing
During commercials try stretching, squats, or walking around the room
Walk to work
Use a tracking device or app to help you see how you are doing
Get a buddy involved. Accountability and partnership help us stay on track
Exercise is cumulative. Try taking 3 -10 minute walks. When I’m short on time I set my phone alarm for 5 minutes, then turn around and head back, boom 10 minutes.
Daily exercise is an important part of our lives, but use it to change your thinking and make you into a mover all day long. Your exercise regime should only be a portion of the movement you do throughout the day. You can do it and so can I, really it is about changing our minds first; our bodies will follow!