It is so easy to make the choice between being sedentary or active.
In general, most people, of all ages, choose sedentary. All of us need to be active. It’s not only healthy but essential to our body’s functions. There are so many ways to exercise, without pounding the pavement with running a bunch of miles every week.
There are simple things you can do for yourself, like walking downtown, while people watching, which is a great diversion while getting some aerobic exercise. You can ride a bike, make sure you wear a helmet, which can be another diversion while getting some exercise.
There are some sports that involve exercises that have a diversionary aspect, like pickle ball, tennis and golf (if you walk the course). You can go for a walk in the park, go hiking, jump into a pool for a swim, or whatever else that relates to being active.
All can be beneficial!
The point here is quite straight forward. Being active doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have a vigorous workout schedule. It does mean you need to become more aware of a routine, like walking, that will be beneficial to your health!
In a subtle way, the diversion of people watching, enjoying a swim and getting outside to play, gives your body an excuse to be physically active.
What’s important is that people must be aware of what is important to their bodies, and their minds, when they become physically active. There are the extremes, from a lack of activity and to the down side of excessive physical exertion.
As you age, your joints, like your hips and knees, may have obvious pain that could be related to a deterioration and/or a breakdown of your skeletal structure, especially where the bones meet—the joints!
What might need to be addressed is what’s behind your pain and discomfort.
Maybe you’re overweight, or you have an injury from overtraining. All can add stress on the joints, and that includes the vertebrae of your back, as well as other parts of your body.
Some runners, for example, can put too many miles of road training during a week. Injuries like stress fractures can occur, and that could result into lifelong chronic conditions. Our backs and knees are more susceptible to chronic pain as we age!
Sometimes these chronic pains are because of your overtraining routine. Some people think that, philosophically, they can work through their aliment with the idea that one can “run it off,” and “it’ll work itself out.” These are old tales that are so untrue. It’s like putting heat on an injury right away, which is adding more fuel to the fire. Maybe that’s what your mom would do, but please don’t do that.
Always use ice—always!
Remember, when in doubt use ice! If you hit your thumb with a hammer, you certainly aren’t going to make it better by hitting it again! How many times does it take to hit your thumb, before you realize you’re hurting yourself? If you work through it, and “ignore the pain,” it’ll go away— whoops, not a good idea!
“Moderation” is the new catch phrase in our society, which is self-explanatory, and it makes sense.
The expression “listen to your body,” is another catch phrase that sums up everything about your health and exercise. Pain is the alarm clock of the brain, so hear it and wake up because it’s sending you a signal, an alarm that you need to hear. In this case, feel!
A good analogy about your body is that it’s like a luxury car. Instructions says to use premium gas, but instead you put regular, or low grade fuel in your Mercedes. Eventually you’re going to have engine trouble. The car’s solution might mean you’ll need to rebuild the engine.
The human body doesn’t do well with low grade fuel either, and the solutions “down the road” could be life changing!
There are so many parts in our bodies that make us function, and unfortunately most are not replaceable. The cylinders of an automobile can be replaced, but the human body has limited replacement options.
It’s important to exercise and get your butt off of the couch, or away from the computer, but you need to be aware of the consequences. The pros and cons from the lack of activity, and/or the opposite of overtraining, all need moderation in your life style. The moderation of a good workout will keep your engine tuned, along with some good nutrition, which can include some essential supplements.
All will give your body the function of a luxury car on premium gas. Learn to be a good mechanic with the expertise of hearing your car’s engine and listen to what your body is telling you.
Moderation of exercise will help keep you healthy. It’s a must fit into your weekly routine. Just do something physical, even every other day, and you’ll be happy for it. You’ll most definitely feel good about yourself!
