Day 5 - Fitness and Health

Yes, I know, you all know that being fit is good for you. But do you know exactly WHY it is good for you? Well keep reading…………

1. Regular activity has a number of proven, positive health effects, especially on heart health. Vigorous exercise strengthens the heart as a pump, making it a larger, more efficient muscle. Even moderate activity can boost HDL ('good') cholesterol, aid the circulatory system, and lower blood pressure and blood fats. All these effects translate into reduced risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

2. Exercise can also offer other benefits, including strengthened muscles, increased flexibility, and stronger bones, which can help ward off the bone-thinning condition called osteoporosis.

3. Regular activity also promises mental-health benefits, like relieving stress and anxiety. It can help you sleep better and renew your energy. If exercise could be bottled, it would be a best-selling potion at the local pharmacy.

If exercise could be bottled, it would be a best-selling potion at the local pharmacy.

Surveys confirm the well-known fact that most people aren't active enough and boy, do we pay for it. 12% of all deaths are due to a lack of regular exercise. So look around you, 1 out of the 10 people you see right now will die from lack of exercise – SCARY!!

So what’s stopping you?

The reasons for inactivity aren't hard to figure out. Most of us have jobs where we sit most of the time, so chances are limited to be physically active at work. We also rely heavily on modern, labor-saving devices - cars, appliances, and power tools - to spare us manual effort.

But that’s not the main reason why people avoid physical exercise. Have a look at all those TV ads featuring some young, gorgeous celebrity jumping around with some other young gorgeous specimens with any extra inches airbrushed away. You know that is not within your grasp or capabilities so you ignore it and grab another biscuit.

Well, stop! Going for a walk with a friend is just as good and probably more fun. Gardening is a fantastic all over body workout and look at the added benefits, a pretty garden to sit in and enjoy the sunshine knowing you have earned a break. And as we mentioned yesterday, ballroom dancing is for all ages and no sweat or jumping around needed (until you get to the cha-cha-cha!).

So go for it, get up off your ass and make a difference to YOUR life. Care for YOUR heart, don’t break it.