January Fitness
Here we go again. I’ll bet you made another January fitness resolution. Right along with the promise to loose ten pounds and clean the refrigerator. Trying to convince the major part of today's population that exercise is needed is usually a lost cause, and some days I get tired of trying. You can't force exercise, those that will, will and those that won't; won't. However, here are a few facts to keep in mind if you belong in the” won't” category.
If you don't do any form of exercise, and you don't intend to; medical statistics show that your lifespan will be shorter, less active, and contain more medical problems than your friends who do exercise. Your susceptibility to injury will be greater, your dietary habits worse, (cholesterol, fat, etc.) and subsequently, your chance for heart disease diabetes, obesity and cancer, (certain types), will increase.
You non-exercisers will tire easily, lose important minerals and protein from body tissues; especially later in life. These elements benefit your musculoskeletal system, and without them, you will most likely suffer chronic low back pain. Not exercising will cause loss of skeletal muscle with the loss of strength and muscle tone, affecting your joint and ligament flexibility.
The World Health Organization defines physical fitness as the "ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample reserve energy to enjoy active leisure pursuits"; and with the ability to respond to physical and emotional stress without an excessive increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
It is much better to look at the positive side of fitness than to look at what will happen to you if you don't exercise! You don't have to do a lot, just get out and work in the garden, or walk for 15 minutes a day. Just do something! There are a lot of good reasons to do that few minutes of physical fitness each day. It you try it, you might find that you can turn your biological clock around to the positive side for a new healthier beginning. Plan to keep that New Year’s fitness resolution.