{"id":34,"date":"2009-08-20T00:21:12","date_gmt":"2009-08-20T00:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jennifercares\/2009\/08\/care-strong-with-a-little-exercise.html"},"modified":"2009-08-20T00:21:12","modified_gmt":"2009-08-20T00:21:12","slug":"care-strong-with-a-little-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jennifercares\/2009\/08\/care-strong-with-a-little-exercise.html","title":{"rendered":"Care Strong with a Little Exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you were little, you didn\u2019t worry about creating an exercise program to stay fit! When you weren\u2019t in school, you woke up with the sunshine, ate breakfast, and then ran outside to play. You were doing what came naturally. You didn\u2019t think about how many calories you were burning playing kick ball, you were just having fun.
\nYour body still wants to move like that, and being fit is still just that easy.<\/strong> It\u2019s tough to remember that sometimes because we\u2019re grown up, and the world has changed. Now we won\u2019t walk down the street to say hello to a friend. We don\u2019t even have to speak! We can text or email anyone we want without much movement at all.
\nThe more that machines move and our muscles don\u2019t, the more we\u2019re hurting our bodies by not allowing them to do what they were meant to do. It\u2019s easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we have been more active than we actually have. \u201cWhew! What a busy day,\u201d we say. We feel drained, and caregivers are drained \u2013 mentally, even emotionally \u2013 but physically we may not have done much of anything, at least not consistently. We wonder why our hips are sore, why our shoulders hurt, why we have headaches. We buy fancy supportive office chairs to make us more comfortable. We bunch up pillows this way and that to make us more comfortable.<\/p>\n

You know what would make us more comfortable? Getting up off our butts and moving around! <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Scientists have spent years analyzing the mechanics of the human body, and exactly like a machine, our joints were created with motion in mind. When we don\u2019t move, we get rusty. We put on weight and this puts us at a higher risk for many serious illnesses, including:
\n\u2022Heart Disease
\n\u2022Diabetes
\n\u2022Certain Cancers
\n\u2022Asthma
\nBecause of the demanding lifestyle of a caregiver, we are already at increased risk for these things, which is why we need to give special attention to make regular exercise a priority.
\nNow I know very well that when you\u2019re burning the candle at both ends, the thought of starting an exercise program can seem downright nuts\u2026but listen, we\u2019re not training for the Olympics here; we\u2019re not waiting for Sports Illustrated to call about the next Swimsuit Edition. All we want to do is feel better and be healthier. You don\u2019t need flashing neon lights and glitter to announce that you are going to start (cymbal crash, please) An Exercise Program. Working out doesn\u2019t have to be flashy or overwhelming or expensive.
\nHere\u2019s what a doctor I know tells his patients who feel they don\u2019t have enough time for exercise:
\n\u201cGive me 30 minutes a day.\u201d When the patient claims she could never carve out that kind of time he says, \u201cThen give me three ten-minute chunks, or six five-minute chunks, or ten three-minute chunks, or thirty one-minute chunks!\u201d The point is, any movement is better than no movement, and medical research has proven that our bodies and brains get the same benefits of exercise even if we break it into smaller, more manageable pieces.
\nTen minutes seems to be the magic number:
\n\u2022Psychologists at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff found that ten minutes of exercise improved mood, increased energy, and encouraged mental alertness and clarity.
\n\u2022Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University found that ten minutes of activity a day can provide immediate benefits, especially with heart health for people who haven\u2019t been doing much exercise at all.
\nHere\u2019s why: Ten minutes is enough time to increase your heart rate, get your blood pumping and oxygen flowing through your body and your brain. Within ten minutes your brain will release endorphins; those chemicals that make you feel happier and calmer. Exercise boosts your immune system. It also boosts good cholesterol and breaks down bad cholesterol to reduce the potential for plaque build-up in your arteries. Regular activity helps control high blood pressure.<\/p>\n

Exercise works faster than any pill. And by working activity into your day in smaller chunks of time, you won\u2019t burn out. Let me give you some tough love here: \u201cI\u2019m too tired\u201d is not going to fly as an excuse to get you out of this. Chances are you\u2019re too tired because you are not getting enough exercise!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After just a few ten-minute sessions, you\u2019ll notice that you\u2019re not so out of breath when you get up out of a chair or walk up a few steps. You\u2019ll have more energy throughout your day. You\u2019ll have better brain power and mental clarity and focus. You\u2019ll be taking baby steps down a positive path toward a healthier, stronger you!
\nSo, get out there and play! Just ten minutes will make a difference \u2013 you\u2019ll see!
\nj.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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