Exercise and Healthy Eating

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I know it says in my profile on the right that I love to exercise. Well…. I exercise, but I don’t really love it. But I know I have to do it, because I do like how I feel as a result.

I was one of those kids that couldn’t run, couldn’t catch a ball, couldn’t swim, didn’t participate in organized sports, was a total klutz, was picked last for the team… You get the idea. But somewhere, vaguely, in the back of my mind, I knew I was supposed to exercise.

When my youngest daughter was two years old, someone talked me into going to Jazzercise with them. Remember Jazzercise? Probably not. It wasn’t around too long probably because of the clothes – leotards, leg warmers, and such – that we wore. Seriously. Too bad I don’t have a picture of that!

Anyway, that was the catalyst. It was also a wonderful social time – I had a two year old, there was a nursery at Jazzercise and all my friends (and sometimes our husbands – they didn’t wear legwarmers, though) were there. After class, we could chat and get the social reinforcement that we all needed.

Once Jazzercise faded into the past, I started walking. We lived sort of on the edge of town, so I’d head out with my dog (a Springer spaniel then), walk for about 15 minutes, turn around and walk home. Really nice unless the wind was blowing, and then I’d stay home.

About this time, Walt got into running. Instead of leg warmers, he and his running buddies wore these little running shorts. Oh my – too bad I don’t have a picture of that either.

We were gradually morphing into people with regular exercise habits. And we were changing our eating habits. This was a time when people examined the way they ate and started eating more whole grains, less fat, more fresh vegetables (out with the canned spinach!), less refined sugars, and we didn’t have to clean our plates all the time.

 

We ate dinner together as a family, and usually breakfast. The kids didn’t get a lot of store-bought snack foods or candy. We had homemade bread, a garden, and processed our own meat. I was more dedicated to my morning walk and started walking further. 

When our oldest daughter went to college, she started running. She was fast. She’s really fast 15 years later. Our youngest daughter played volleyball in high school and rugby in college and can lift an incredible amount of weight. Our middle daughter loves to run in the cold rain. I don’t understand that, but she gets a great deal of joy from that.  

With those kinds of examples, I started running. Slowly running. Not too far. When we lived in Maryland for a year, it was hard to find a place to run, so we got our first treadmill. I started lifting weights at a gym when we moved back to Wyoming. So did Walt. 

Now exercise and healthy eating are integral parts of our lives. I run and lift weights. Walt does also when he is not recovering from being bucked off a mule or his bike. Here are some additional reasons from the Mayo clinic website why exercise helps: 

Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity

By Mayo Clinic staff

Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than exercise. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing to exercise? Check out these seven ways exercise can improve your life.  

No. 1: Exercise controls weight

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don't need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can't do an actual workout, get more active throughout the day in simple ways — by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or revving up your household chores.  

No. 2: Exercise combats health conditions and diseases

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.  

No. 3: Exercise improves mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.  

No. 4: Exercise boosts energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores. 

No. 5: Exercise promotes better sleep

Struggling to fall asleep? Or to stay asleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep.  

No. 6: Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life.  

No. 7: Exercise can be fun

Exercise and physical activity can be a fun way to spend some time. It gives you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply engage in activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting. So, take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. If you get bored, try something new.  

The bottom line on exercise

Exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun. As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any health concerns.

Back to Kim: Exercise takes a great deal of commitment. It’s hard to exercise when you have to be at work in the morning, or if you have a short lunch hour, or no lunch hour at all, or it’s snowing, or if you have little kids at home, or if you have to get home right after work to fix dinner, or take kids to their sports activities, or you have to get to a meeting. How do you squeeze in a half an hour a day for yourself?  

It doesn’t have to be in a half hour block. You can do 10 minutes at a time, or get up 15 minutes earlier, or take the stairs, or park further away from your workplace. There are all sorts of ideas online to help get you started. 

I love to cook and we love to eat. But we watch our portions, we rarely have dessert, and we exercise. There is a history of heart disease on both sides of our family, so we try to live as healthily as we can. For us the benefits are low blood pressure, our cholesterol is mostly controlled by diet (at least for me), we have great bone density, I feel good (except when I do the P90X legs and back routine and I can’t move for three days), and I get out in the early morning when the sun is just coming up. Lovely.

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