Every year we make a New Year’s Resolution to exercise. We all know that exercise is beneficial, but many aren’t aware of how beneficial it can be. Sometimes a little more knowledge helps us to get up and take action. Other people need tidbits on HOW to get up and take action. This article is meant to address both.

With Education There Is Power
With that in mind, this is what has been learned about physical activity and health from decades of research. Among its major findings:

• People who are usually inactive can improve their health and well-being by becoming even moderately active on a regular basis.
• Physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve significant health benefits.
• Even greater health benefits can be achieved by increasing the amount (duration, frequency, or intensity) of physical activity.

So what are those health benefits? Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States. Regular physical activity improves health in the following ways:

• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely.
• Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease.
• Reduces the risk of developing diabetes and improves control of blood sugar.
• Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.
• Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure.
• Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.
• Helps control weight by increasing your metabolism to help prevent obesity.
• Helps you sleep better.
• Reduces some of the effects of aging.
• Helps build and maintain healthy bones (including the prevention of osteoporosis), muscles, and joints.
• Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
• Promotes psychological well-being. It helps treat depression and relieves stress and anxiety.
• Increases your energy and endurance.
• Reduces the risk of breast cancer by 40% in those who exercise 3 times weekly.

Fitness Is Critical To Weight Loss
In order to increase your metabolism and burn fat, you need to build muscle. If you lose weight by diet alone, on by aerobics alone, or by aerobics and diet together, but neglect muscle building/strengthening exercises, 40% of the weight that you lose will be muscle. Muscle burns fat. In fact, every pound of muscle burns between 50-100 calories per day, at rest! If you are like the average American and lose 60 pounds (without the addition of strength training), 24 pounds of the weight you lose is muscle! 24 pounds of muscle burns between 1200 and 2400 calories per day, at rest! The next time you gain the weight back, it is all fat, not muscle. Then you diet again. It is more difficult to lose the weight this time because you have less calorie-burning capacity. Again 40% of the weight that you do lose is muscle. Then you gain the weight back again because your metabolism is so much slower. Each time it gets more and more difficult to lose the weight because you have less and less muscle to rev up your metabolism and help you burn the calories. Now you can see the yo-yo cycles most people fall prey to. If you have a history of dieting, then your muscle mass is probably low.

When you do strength training (using hydraulic equipment or weights), you add muscle. More muscle means that you burn fat faster. Every pound of muscle that you add to your frame will increase your metabolism by 50- 100 calories per day! When you start working out, you jump-start your metabolism, resulting in more calories burned. As your muscles become tight and firm you will notice a loss in inches, especially in your waist, tummy and hips. In fact, when most people start strength training with hydraulic equipment, they lose 5-10 inches in the very first month!

So, How Do We Incorporate Exercise Into Our Lifestyle?

• Determine where you want to be – what are your goals?
• Evaluate what results you would see if you continued to be sedentary (i.e. more weight gain,
increased risk of heart disease, less energy, more shortness of breath and fatigue, more depression, etc.).
• How would those results change if you exercised (i.e. more energy, improved body and body image, happier, more control over your health, less health risks, etc.)
• Make the commitment to get healthier, which means also to exercise.
• Call a reputable fitness center and make an appointment to visit it. Have them use state of the art equipment to determine where you are now. In other words, get a fitness Evaluation.

To Make Exercise a Habit

• Stick to a regular time every day.
• Sign a contract committing yourself to exercise
• Put “exercise appointments” on your calendar.
• Keep a daily log or diary of your activities.
• Check your progress. Can you walk a certain distance faster or further now than when you began? Or is your heart rate slower now?
• Determine the best exercise program for you, such as what type of exercise to do, how often to exercise and for how long.
• Join a health club. The cost gives some people an incentive to exercise regularly.

How Do We Know Which Gym To Go To?
You want to enjoy your workout. Choose a gym that is FUN. Upbeat music, fun personnel. Meet and get to know the personnel – they can either make or break your experience. Make sure you can get ongoing training and support any time you need it. You shouldn’t have to pay extra for this service! The best gyms are those that incorporate hydraulic equipment with aerobic exercise. The term “hydraulic” has been used very loosely in the fitness industry. Most gyms use automobile style shock absorbers to cut costs and produce an inferior product with an inadequate “one size fits all” work out. Attend gyms that use hydraulics specifically manufactured for the fitness industry. Use facilities whose cylinders YOU can easily ADJUST, within seconds.