Today is the first Monday after New Year’s. All systems go on New Year’s Resolution’s right? After all, the exercise program and diet starts today! On Monday…
Getting fit and healthy is a two-pronged approach.
Prong #1: Increasing exercise time
Exercising on a regular basis is well documented by government health agencies and the World Health Organization (WHO). The benefits are well understood: better heart health, stronger bones and muscles, improved quality of life. These recommendations guide us to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (increasing our heart rate) per week, and engage in some strength and conditions two times per week.
Alternatively, you can engage in 75 minutes of vigrous physical activity. Really increasing your heart rate each week.
Let us not forget that even though few Americans meet these recommendations, these recommendations are the minimum standard to live a happy and healthy life.
Prong #2: Reducing Sitting Time
Sedentary behavior, or too much sitting, is an independent risk factor for preventable disease like heart disease and multiple cancers (I’ve written about the risks here.). An “independent risk factor” is a fancy research explanation indicating that, even if you exercise, high volumes of sitting is linked with poor health outcomes.
Not until December 2020, did WHO add reducing sitting time to their physical activity recommendations. The WHO deemed it “critical” for all ages to reduce daily sitting time. Review these guidelines at your convenience.
The take home…we all can benefit from more movement.
Two Ways To Improve Your Health and Fitness
With prong 1, increase your exercise time
With prong 2, decrease your daily total sitting time
Yes, we may want to do engage in all of the health and fitness behaviors all at once. Doing so may not be feasible for everyone, all the time. There are variety of constraints in place: time, knowing what to do, available gyms, equipment, or having a workout buddy.
If you can’t exercise today, you can move more.
If you moved all day, maybe you can take a rest day from exercise.
With these two recommendations, each day is a new opportunity to improve your health and fitness.
Keep moving.
