by jennifer joy, wellness director, winston family ymca
Here are some guidelines for physical activity for the average person trying to improve or maintain heart health (including blood pressure and cholesterol), lower stress levels and improve quality of life.
Last spring, Duval County began a “Get Healthy Jacksonville” initiative to motivate the locals to “know their numbers” (cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar or glucose). The county’s effort is sound: know where you are so you know where you need to go. Your first assignment related to physical wellness is to go to the doctor, have a vampire siphon blood early in the morning after fasting for at least eight hours, and get educated about your “norms.” You need to be aware of what is normal for your body so you can easily recognize abnormalities as well as improvements.
The second assignment that may take a little more thought and creativity is to become “active on most days” like the American Heart Association recommends. Try replacing 30 minutes of television or computer time with a family walk, bike ride at dusk or gardening, for example. Try taking the stairs when available or purposefully parking at a distance when shopping. At the end of the day, take mental inventory of how much time was spent working, eating, at the computer versus being active to asses where your priorities lie. The First Coast is an ideal place to live and be active year round, and small changes can yield big results over time.
The final assignment on the checklist is to begin to do exercise for the heart and exercise for the bones. The American College of Sports Medicine believes that “the biggest risk to exercise is not starting.” For the general population, try simply walking a little further each time you exercise and gradually increase the pace of your walks as the weeks pass. For strength exercise, lift a weight that you usually lift but do it more times than normal. As always, before beginning an aggressive exercise program, you should see your doctor or an exercise professional for screening tests and program advice.
The main goal of wellness is balance. Physical well-being need not overshadow relationships, cause work to suffer, or make you irritable and grumpy. In fact, research shows that individuals who engage in regular exercise manage stress better, have lower blood pressure, report better quality relationships, have better self-esteem and are more productive at work. The day is today and the time is now to dust off the walking shoes and feel better.
Article Published in the 2-21-08 Issue of EU Jacksonville
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