O. – Exercise -

My dad recently sent me this interesting and insightful article from Business Digest. It made me really start thinking about how sedentary I can easily become (even though I feel “active”).

“Here’s a tough one: A poll shows that it’s likely you spend 56 hours a week planted like a geranium. And women may be worse than men. Thanks to electronic, computerized lives, we burn 1,500 to 2,400 fewer calories per day than we did just 50 years ago. In fact, we’re so sedentary that 30 minutes a day at the gym may not do enough to counteract the effects of long hours of sitting. That’s one reason so many people still struggle with weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol woes despite regular workout routines. One solution: Frequent mini-stints of standing, fidgeting, or puttering to fire up the engine.”

So, here are some “office” (or home office, as in my case!) workouts for you to try out:

- MSN Office Workout

- Military Office Workout

- E-Zine Office Workout

In a recent article, published in Time magazine, one woman, the author, discusses her battle of attempting weight loss through exercise. A major point throughout her article centers on the fact that often, after a grueling workout, we have the desire to “reward” ourselves with a treat that might provide hundreds of calories more than our workout burned. Also, the ravenous appetite the workout provides feeds our desire for a reward. If you haven’t read the article, click on the link above for an interesting read.

Runner’s World online had an interesting response to the article, encouraging a balanced approach to exercise that is very similar to my recommendations.

We know that cardiovascular exercise is wonderful for your heart, bones, and overall health. So, I don’t recommend that you quit exercising or think of exercising as a license to eat anything you want. Try balancing calories in with calories expended – often a little exercise can help keep this balance in check. Try to get in 30-60 minutes of exercise each day for good health – this can be all at once or spread throughout the day. Enjoy your workout – whether it’s a walk, jog, or playing volleyball (or Wallyball) with friends. Then, enjoy eating healthfully throughout the day.

The October 2008 edition of Today’s Dietitian has a feature story on “Exercise for Diabetes Prevention and Management.” The article was very interesting and contained information about how to begin an exercise program and problems that may occur. Here is a synopsis of the article…

Studies show that individuals with diabetes or at risk for diabetes (especially type 2 diabetes) can have significant benefits in the treatment, prevention, and delay of the disease.

Recommendations:

• Exercise at least 150 minutes per week at moderate-intensity aerobic levels (split it up between 3-4 days per week)
  
• Unless your doctor has said not to, perform resistance exercises at least 3 times per week, working up to 3 sets of 8-10 reps for exercises targeting all major muscle groups
• To decrease cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, exercise at moderate-to-vigorous aerobic levels 4 or more hours per week
• If you are trying to maintain weight loss, it is recommended that you exercise 7 hours per week to keep it off
  

Considerations:

• Be sure to check with your doctor to get medical clearance before starting an exercise program. If you have diabetes or heart problems, your doctor may want to do a stress test to make sure your heart can handle exercise.
• Don’t start out too hard – start by walking at a moderate pace for 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times per day. Gradually increase the pace and the amount of exercise per day.
  
• Find something you enjoy – take an exercise class (I’m taking ballet!), find a family member or friend to walk with, or join a sports team (I help coach/play volleyball!).
• Think about your blood sugar – make sure you take your blood glucose meter with you on your walk along with a high-carbohydrate snack, just in case your blood sugar drops.
  

Enjoy your workout!