I have a question for you… Do you exercise?
If the answer is NO, then please continue reading. This is for YOU.
If it’s a YES, congratulations! But there’s no need to continue reading this post.
Unless… your exercise routine has ever been disrupted by occasional bouts of pain or injury.
If it has, then I would encourage you to read on as you may learn something.
If you’re still here, thanks for staying. This is Part 2 of a 3-part series on The Health Triad.
Last week we discussed nutrition, which I believe is the first “point” on the Triad.
Good nutrition is essential and sets the tone for everything else in our lives.
But nutrition alone is not enough. It just can’t stand on its own.
Just like a tripod can’t support itself with 1 or 2 legs, nutrition requires additional support to maximize its effectiveness.
So this week we’ll discuss the 2nd leg – exercise.
I want this to resonate with anyone who is sedentary. Anyone who does not exercise at this time. Yet realizes they need to.
Why?
Because just like nutrition, exercise is extremely important to your health & wellness.
Let me begin with a quick personal story that inspired this post.
I have recently gained a new respect for exercise. Specifically, the opportunity to be able to exercise. Something I used to take for granted.
This new respect occurred over the past year thanks to an injury and some unrelated aches and pains that rear their ugly head from time to time.
The bottom line is that it’s caused a disruption to my regular exercise regimen. And a loss of momentum.
But there’s an upside. There’s always one if you look for it.
I’ve learned to get creative and find alternative ways to keep getting exercise and burning calories; even though it sometimes has to be in a less-intense way.
It’s also helped me see things from a different perspective. And allowed me to find empathy, instead of the lack of understanding I’ve had to this point about why people don’t exercise.
Or why they exercise at such a low intensity.
I can’t wait for the pain to subside so I can kick up the intensity again. But it’s just a matter of time. And in the meantime, I’m focusing on other forms of exercise and working other body parts that I’ve neglected when I was “in the zone”.
Walking has become my new “go to” exercise and calorie burn replacement when I’m unable to strength train due to recurring pain. It’s amazing how many calories you can burn on a 40 to 60-minute intense power walk. And the benefits continue beyond the burn.
So what’s the main point that I’d like you to take away here?
Exercise has been proven, over-and-over, to be essential and necessary for our overall health & wellness, and longevity. If you are sedentary, find one thing you can do to start moving. And do it!
Walking is the easiest in my opinion. And it’s something you’re familiar with. Unlike perhaps exercise machines or weights.
So let’s start there.
After getting your doctor’s approval to begin a walking exercise program, set a goal based on your situation (your age, weight, fitness level, medical condition, etc.).
If you’ve haven’t exercised in a while, I would start slow. There’s no need to set an aggressive target. At this stage, you need to:
- Start moving, consistently.
- Accumulate some positive experiences you can feel good about.
- Begin building momentum so results can eventually follow.
So keep it simple and just start walking. That may only be 5 or 10 minutes the first couple of days. It doesn’t matter.
You’re going to take this one day at a time. And you’re not going to compare yourself to anyone else. This is about YOU!
Now it’s time to STOP reading and START walking.
Enjoy and have fun!
And stay tuned for next week’s post. It’s straight from the heart…
Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.
Now it’s time for YOU to take action…
What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.
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