5 Steps to Achieve an Active Lifestyle
Let’s review a simple step by step approach to adding activity in your lifestyle with the goal of being active long term.
1. Explore your emotional and cognitive values with respect to the problem.
Are you sedentary because you are afraid you will look foolish walking around your neighborhood or you believe the gym is a meat market and you do not want to be on display? Are you sedentary because when you tried to participate in sports as a child, you were always chosen last, so activity must not be your thing, right?
2. Turn to your support system.
Which family members or friends can you turn towards? Tell them about your goals and the steps you will take to achieve them. Identify exactly how your family/friends can assist you. Trust them to help you through difficult periods and provide the support you need to stick with your goals.
5 Reasons to Exercise
Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, is beneficial for your cardiovascular system.
Here are 5 reasons to add physical activity to your everyday routine:
1. Decrease risk for breast and colon cancer
A study has found a 35% reduced risk of getting breast cancer in women who are regularly active. Physical activity also increases survival rate in women diagnosed with breast cancer. The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study shows walking three to five hours each week to decrease risk of death 50 percent. Physical activity has also been linked to reduced risk for colon and rectal cancers.
2. Increase your life span
4 Steps to Overcome a Weight Loss Plateau
Hitting weight loss plateaus are a part of the weight loss journey. Don’t let them discourage you!
Here are four areas to begin evaluating first so you can overcome this hurdle and continue losing weight:
1. Too few calories
Are you young, active, consuming a healthy diet, AND still diagnosed with high blood pressure?
I’ve been receiving several questions related to this recently, so wanted to address it. Here’s an example of a question:
I am and always have been thin. I do not smoke, do not drink alcohol, eat a very healthy diet high in fruits/vegetables and low in processed foods, exercise daily, and get plenty of rest. I have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. What do I do?
In this situation the standard steps you need to take to lower high blood pressure do not necessarily apply. That doesn’t mean be lazy, don’t exercise, and eat a high fat diet. That means you need to work with your physician for a full evaluation/lab work to determine the cause of your high blood pressure, since you do not have the typical causes of high blood pressure (overweight, poor diet, etc.). Once this is known you’ll be able to outline a plan of action appropriate for your situation.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
7 Natural Ways to Lower High Blood Pressure
http://lowerbloodpressurewithlisa.com
High Blood Pressure and Flexibility – What do they have to do with each other?
Flexibility refers to the ability of your joints to move through a full range of motion. How flexible you are in a particular joint is connected to the muscle length that attaches to that joint and how far that muscle will stretch. Having flexibility in your muscles allows for greater movement around joints. The shorter and less flexible the muscle, the tighter the joint.
What Does Flexibility Have to Do with High Blood Pressure?
4 More Reasons to Exericse (. . .if you needed more!)
1. Increase your life span
Individuals who stay in shape as they age live longer, particularly when evaluating heart disease risk. An Archives of Internal Medicine study showed a workout a day may add ~4 years to your life. A sample from the Framingham Heart Study found individuals who walked 30 minutes 5 days a week lived 1.3 to 1.5 years longer than sedentary individuals. Boost your exercise intensity and studies show you may add 3.5 to 3.7 years to your lifespan.
2. Improve your quality of life as you age
