1. I love exercising. It's fun, it's challenging, you can do it with friends or alone, I love the competition, it can be mentally stimulating or mindless, it's stress relieving. After exercising I feel better about myself, like I've been productive, like I can think clearer, happier, proud of myself, like the world isn't so bad, tired in a good way, more connected and in-tune with my body, glad I did it, stronger, motivated, and accomplished.
2. I hate exercising. I don't always feel like going, sometimes it's really hard, sometimes it hurts, sometimes it's inconvenient, sometimes I'm already exhausted, sometimes I just want to sleep in or sit on the couch, sometimes it's really cold or rainy, sometimes it's really hot, etc...
3. The American Heart Association recommends adults get AT LEAST 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity 5 times a week (150 minutes). OR... AT LEAST 25 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity 3 times a week (75 minutes). (1) -that's kind of a lot.
4. Regular exercise boosts energy level, counters depression and anxiety, prevents bone loss, decreases risk for several diseases (ex. heart disease), improves quality of sleep, enhances the immune system, increases muscle strength, and many, many other benefits. (1)
5. 80% of Americans don't exercise regularly.
6. 69.2% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, 35.7% of U.S. adults are obese. (2)
7. Estimated medical cost of obesity in the U.S. in 2008 = $147 billion. Annual medical costs for obese individuals is on average about $1,500 more than normal weight individuals. (2)
8. Definition... Overweight: Body mass index (kg/m2) of 25-29.9.
Obese: Body mass index of >30.
9.
| U.S. Adult Male | U.S. Adult Female | |
| Average Height | 5'9 | 5'4 |
| Normal Weight | 125-168 lbs | 108-145 lbs |
| Overweight | 169 lbs | 146 lbs |
| Obese | 203 lbs | 175 lbs |
10. It should be noted that the BMI does not tell the whole story. It is not a measure of fatness or overall health. Additionally, BMI tends to put very muscular people into the overweight category. The BMI is only one factor for determining disease risk. It is often used as an assessment tool because it only requires knowing an individual's height and weight- it is inexpensive and easy.
11. Losing and/or maintain weight can be difficult. There are thousands of diets and exercise programs out there, but it doesn't need to be complicated or expensive. And you don't have to look like a fitness model. For individuals who are overweight, losing just 10 pounds has demonstrated huge benefits on the heart, knees, liver, blood pressure, and pancreas. (3)
I think that in this case, for me, the benefits outweigh my occasional hate of exercise. The last few years as I transitioned out of gymnastics, I've been blessed to be surrounded by many active friends from my PT program. They have helped me develop good habits- it was fun and easy to say yes to joining with them in working out. I'm realizing it's more difficult to exercise when I'm on my own. I need to remind myself in those moments when I'm tired after a long day and no one can work out with me and I just want to relax... that I'll feel better if I just go. I always feel better afterwards. And the health benefits are priceless. Corey and I were talking about New Year's resolutions today. I don't usually make any, but I think this year I'd like to follow the AHA's recommendation for aerobic exercise each week, even the busy/stressful weeks. I'm hoping Corey can help hold me accountable, and join me on occasion. :)
If anyone is interested, here are some of the resources I cited. The CDC has lots of interesting fact sheets available and the AHA has lots of good resources for getting started with exercise.
1. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/StartWalking/American-Heart-Association-Guidelines_UCM_307976_Article.jsp
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
3. That's Fit. http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/09/13/dr-ozs-just-10-pounds-weight-loss-challenge/
