EATING SANELY MEANS MOVING, TOO

Eating sanely is by definition about eating, right?  Well, yes, though it is also about moving.  We eat well, at least in part, to maintain good health and a satisfactory weight.  And you’re not likely to achieve either without moving your body.

People exercise much less often now than in earlier eras—in fact, many of us now lead lives in which it would be completely possible to not exercise at all.  Our bodies pay a steep price for not moving, though.   In terms of weight, exercise doesn’t necessarily prevent weight gain or cause automatic losses.  We have to eat right, too.  But exercise builds muscle and supports healthy metabolism in ways that scientists continue to analyze.
We hear and read about exercise in the news pretty regularly these days.  On June 4^th I wrote “Stand Up to Keep Weight Down”, in response to findings about sitting vs. standing.  For it turns out that even just standing beats staying seated on cardiac and other measures.   Dr. Amos Oz puts his own spin on these studies in his latest O, the Oprah Magazine column (August 2010).  And a recent Sunday New York Times Magazine item notes that even men who work out regularly show cardiac worsening if they sit a lot when during the rest of the week. 

 Further, the past month’s New York Times Health sections have summarized studies involving women and exercise.  One finds fewer problems with age-related cognitive and memory declines.   Another looks at weight losses for women who walk or bike.  That particular study illustrates how helpful bicycling seems to be for getting and keeping weight off.   Reading this reminded me, who regularly recommends walking to people for a whole host of reasons, that it’s important to hook into the exercise mode that you like.  If that’s walking, great.  If you prefer to bike, that’s at least as good.   The same goes for swimming, dance classes, Wii Fit, and so on.

Regularity is key.  Which exercise format will you stick with?   If you like something, you’re more likely to stick with it.  If it fits your lifestyle or your routine, you’re more likely to make it part of your life, day in and day out, week in and week out.  and if you’re one of those people who don’t like any type you can think of, then the question could be “Which exercise format can you picture possibly getting used to?”  Start there.  Start with just five minutes a day if that’s all you can manage.  Build from there over time.  Consult with a personal trainer once or twice (this can be surprisingly affordable) to get ideas.  Ask friends to join you if that would boost your motivation.

In the end, eating sanely involves working against the factors in our world that push us toward poor health—whether mental or physical.  The trend toward sedentary living is one of those factors.   Often we have to work hard to eat well—ignoring junk food, going out of our way to get what’s good for us.  Few people think that’s easy, though most will tell you it’s worth it.  Sometimes, too, we have to work hard to make a place for regular movement in our lives.  Our bodies and minds reap the benefits once we do, no matter where we start from.

 You can read more about how to stick with an exercise routine in the Eat Sanely workbook course, Module 14, “Move!”

             

Tags: exercise

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 at 12:09 pm and is filed under exercise, Habit Changes, Weight Loss. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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