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Exercise Rx from the Rice House
It is often debated which is more important with weight loss
– diet or exercise. There is no debate when it comes
to exercise being important for overall health and well-being.
The definition of "exercise" can start another debate.
Many people say that you have to have your heart rate at a
certain level for a specific amount of time, which means going
a certain rate (usually 3 miles an hour), etc. It can easily
turn exercise into a chore instead of an enjoyable activity.
The Rice House goals are simple: Walk for an hour a day (minimum).
You can do it twice a day for 30 minutes, or 20 minutes for
3 times, the important message is to move….Take MORE
steps. You may think that it’s simple to remember, but
more difficult to implement. If feeling good, being mobile,
staying mentally and physically healthy are important to you,
then finding one hour out of the roughly 16 waking hours in
the day to walk must be a priority. We are not as concerned
with your walking pace as other programs. We would rather
see you go at a pace where you can last an hour instead of
tiring out after 20 minutes. If you cannot walk an hour yet,
that’s fine. Do what you can, even if that means just
walking down a hallway and add a little more each day.
Walking in the water counts just the same as walking on the
land. The pool has been essential for many with knee, ankle,
and hip problems. Many of our clients take water aerobic classes,
or just walk in the water. They are able to feel and obtain
all the same benefits as walking on the land. Using the bike
is also wonderful exercise, but may not ultimately have all
the same benefits as walking, so we prefer the walking, either
in the water or on the land. However, if the bike is all that
can be done, then use it. If you are already running or using
an exercise machine, then on your days off from those activities,
take a walk. It is important to do something everyday and
walking is not too strenuous an activity to be done less than
daily.
You may wonder why we recommend walking every day, when other
programs or the government may say 4 to 5 days a week. Fifty
or sixty years ago, people had to walk to the store, manually
close the garage door, get up to turn the channel on the TV,
and walk down the hall to talk to a coworker. They were likely
burning the equivalent amount of calories to 1 hour of walking.
These activities were part of their everyday routine, and
we want people to get back to that level. Your body functions
best with daily activity. When done everyday, then walking
is a habit, a priority and valuable time taken for yourself.
With so many other distractions in life, and things vying
for our attention, many of us don’t take any time for
ourselves. Walking for one hour, forces us to do that and
as a result has NUMEROUS benefits. You are less likely to
develop cancer, heart disease, stroke or diabetes with regular
walking. Your immune system is stronger to allow you to stay
well and have less colds and flu. You have more energy during
the day and sleep better at night. Your skin will look healthier.
You gain muscle and lose fat.
Apart from all the physical reasons to exercise, the mental
improvement alone provides adequate reasons to walk daily.
Studies have shown improved brain function, mood and sense
of well-being. Recently, a regular exercise program was compared
to the use of Zoloft to treat depression in a population aged
50 or older. Both had similar declines in symptoms of depression.
This study and others like it demonstrate how the "feel
good" chemicals that are released in the body when we
exercise can help us mentally as well as physically.
Statistically, it has been shown that people who exercise
in the morning stick with it longer. Why? Because you can
get it out of the way. If you wait until later in the day,
then too often excuses come up and the exercise never gets
done. You may find yourself rushing through your activities
of the day, so you can get to the gym, but if you go to the
gym in the morning, then you won’t have that extra stress
added to your day. Certainly, it is an adjustment to get up
an hour before you normally do, but if you plan ahead –
pack your gym bag and plan your clothes for the day before
you go to bed the night before – then it becomes a habit.
There may be days where you feel tired and don’t want
to go. That happens even when people work out in the afternoon.
You can tell yourself that you’ll do half of what you
normally do, which is certainly still better than nothing.
Most people will get to that half-way point and feel so good
that they end up doing their whole routine. You always feel
100% better after a great workout. Exercising in the morning
will also help you go to bed earlier, which can eliminate
some evening hours for people that can be hazardous.
Strength training using weights is very beneficial for people
of all ages and will help you gain some benefits that don’t
come with just walking. A trained professional with a four
year degree and appropriate accreditation can demonstrate
how to best use dumbbells, bands or weight machines to fit
your needs. These types of exercises can be done 2 –
3 times per week instead of everyday. You can increase your
metabolism with the loss of fat and the maintenance and strengthening
of muscle. This means that as you sleep, you will burn more
calories! Plus, your bones will become stronger, you will
have increased strength, improved energy, improved posture,
and decreased stress! There are many successful weight loss
stories that discuss how adding strength training to their
exercise routine helped their weight get past a plateau on
the scale.
Enjoy one daily hour of walking and it will help you enjoy
your life! Guaranteed!
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