By: Beth Auguste, MS, RDN, CSOWM
What comes to mind when somebody says the word “physical activity”? Do you think of the walk you took to get from the garage to work this morning? Or the stairs you climbed on your way out of the subway? What about the word “exercise”? If this word provokes different thoughts I am not surprised. You might have visions of sweating it out in spin class and loving every second of it, or maybe you have a feeling of dread as you picture dragging yourself to the gym. In celebration of May’s National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, I want to tell you that physical activity is what matters! You might spend an hour in the gym, but what happens during the other 23 hours is crucial. Picture your typical day, you sit as you eat breakfast, you may sit as you commute to work, sit at a desk, sit at lunch, go to the gym for an hour, then sit at the dinner table or in front of the TV. Even athletes can be considered sedentary if their only physical activity is during the hours when they are exercising!
This month, challenge yourself to think about physical activity as a way of life. What errands can you run on foot today? If you have a phone call to make, can you do it while walking or pacing? If you are stuck at your desk for hours in a row, can you make a point to stand up and stretch every hour? Can you stretch while you watch TV at night?
Continue the article
here.
