Healthy Weight: Physical Activity

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Physical Activity

Research shows that regular moderate-intensity physical activity reduces the risk for many chronic diseases. Physical activity has the strongest protective effect against heart disease. It also significantly reduces risks associated with high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression, osteoporosis, and cancers of the breast, colon, and female reproductive system.³

So why don't many Americans get regular exercise, when it is so beneficial to our health? We have many barriers—work, kids, social lives, and lack of motivation. It may help to think of things you loved doing as a kid. Did you like to roller-skate, swim, or ride your bike? Do you hate the idea of going to a gym or health club? Think about your preferences for physical activity, and try to identify some activities you'd enjoy.

Fitness: Choosing activities that are right for you

Walking is one of the best ways to be physically active. You can do it with friends, at work, with your dog, or by yourself. All you need is a good pair of shoes. Choosing fitness activities that are right for you can help boost your motivation. For more information, see:

Fitness: Walking for wellness.

Most experts agree that there are three components of fitness:

• Flexibility. Flexibility is the ability to move joints and use muscles through their full range of motion. Stretching is a flexibility exercise.
• Aerobic capacity. Aerobic fitness strengthens your heart and lungs. It increases the amount of oxygen that is delivered to your muscles, which allows them to work longer. Brisk walking is a type of aerobic exercise. Brisk walking means walking fast enough to increase your pulse and breathing, but not so fast that you can't talk comfortably.
• Strength. Muscle strengthening includes building more powerful muscles and increasing how long you can use them (endurance). Weight training builds stronger muscles and strengthens bones.

Getting started

Make physical activity a regular, essential part of your day, just like brushing your teeth or getting dressed. Start slowly (if you aren't active at all, make sure you consult your doctor first), and set small goals. Be creative. You may find that it works best when you schedule your activity in the morning. That way, you won't have to worry about it later in the day when you're tired and have other demands on your time. Or you may prefer exercising midday or in the evening to give you an energy boost.

• Set a 1-month goal you can reach. For example, plan to walk for 10 minutes at lunch 3 days a week or to stretch for 5 minutes each morning. Avoid setting goals that compare yourself to someone else; when you are just starting out, comparisons to others can be frustrating or can cause you to try to rush your progress.
• Keep a record of what you do. Circle the days on a calendar when you exercise. If you want a more detailed record, use a notebook to write down your moderate physical activity every day, including informal things like walking an extra block to work or a game of soccer in the yard with your kids. Or use a step counter to keep track of your steps.
• When you reach your first goal, reward yourself. Promise yourself that if you make an entry in your journal every day for 30 days, you will reward yourself with something special, but do not use food as a reward.
• Stay motivated. Develop your own program tailored to your needs and abilities. Find an activity that you'll enjoy and stick with, and then vary it with other exercise so you don't get bored. For example, 3 days a week, take a brisk 30-minute walk with a friend and then lift some weights together. On other days, take a water aerobics class, ride a bike, or take the dog for a hike. Learn to square dance. Take surfing lessons. Join a softball, volleyball, or basketball league. Sign up for a organized walk or fun run. This will give you a goal to work toward.

No matter what you do, the key is making it a regular, fun part of your life. And once you start seeing the results, you'll be even more motivated to stick with it.

Once your doctor has given you the okay to exercise, you may want to add weight training to your program. If you've never done it before, try to find a certified trainer to teach you how to do it properly. See the following illustrations for help:

• Basic muscle-strengthening exercises
• Muscle strengthening with surgical tubing or resistance bands
• Muscle strengthening with hand weights

Tips for success

If it helps your motivation, find a workout partner. A buddy can keep you going just by expecting you to show up. He or she can also motivate you by watching your progress, discussing your training schedule with you, or socializing after a workout. Pick someone who is at about the same level of fitness as you. Working out with someone who is much farther along than you are can be discouraging, while someone who is at a much lower level of fitness can cause you to fall back or fail to improve. Changing or adding workout partners can sometimes renew your motivation as well. On the other hand, you may view a walk or other activity as your time to be alone to plan your day or solve a problem.

• Find out which activities you like before you purchase a lot of fitness gear. You will be more likely to make wise purchases after you have learned which activities you enjoy.
• Increase your efforts gradually with the eventual goal of doing moderate activity for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week or more, or vigorous activity for at least 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week or more. Don't try to fit in all your activity on the weekends.

  Quick Tips: Fitting Physical Activity Into Your Day

  Quick Tips: Getting Active at Home

• Replace the fluids you lose through sweat during exercise by drinking plenty of water.
• Make an appointment with yourself to exercise. Consider your physical activity efforts a scheduled part of your day. Block it out on your calendar or day planner. Do several months in advance if you can, so that you become used to thinking of that time as already scheduled.
• Remember that weight loss or how your clothes fit is not the best measure of progress with a fitness program. Gauge your progress by improvements in your fitness level, what you are able to do, and how much energy you have.

Last updated:	March 06, 2008
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC