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In addition to adopting healthy eating habits, exercising is essential for physical
health. The most common reason for not exercising is lack of time. As a college
student, you planned your day to ensure that you had time to study, work, and
attend classes. As a graduate, you must still make important decisions about
your time. A healthy work-life balance includes exercise.
E X E R C I S E
When beginning an exercise regimen, it is important to ditch the all-or-nothing
attitude. Too often people overdo the exercise, which results in injury or burnout.
You don’t have to go to the gym seven days per week for hours on end to make
a healthy change. A small amount of exercise is better than nothing. Try to park
as far as possible from your office or at the mall. Bring your sneakers to work and
take a short walk during your lunch hour.
Adding small amounts of physical activity to your weekly routine can have a
tremendous impact on your overall well-being. Get creative! Choose activities
that you enjoy and will want to do regularly. Even video games like Wii and
Kinect are fun ways to start moving. They can also provide some quality time
with the family. There are also smartphone apps that can keep your workouts fun
and interesting. Collecting characters in Pokémon Go or running from zombies
are fun and get your heart rate climbing! Each activity session should last for at
least 10 minutes to get the maximum health benefits. You should strive for a
minimum of 2.5 hours per week of aerobic exercise.
Aerobic exercise elevates the heart rate. Adding these types of activities is
essential to losing weigh. Playing ball with the kids for 15-minutes, walking the
dog, or taking the stairs at work several times per week, will help you quickly
reach your weekly goal. In addition to aerobic exercise, add activities that
strengthen your muscles and bones at least twice per week. Examples of
muscle-strengthening activities include lifting weights, heavy yard work, or
strength training at the gym. Examples of bone-strengthening activities include
running, walking, and weight lifting.
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Section 18 – Planning For Your Future