CareNow® - October 13, 2018

It can be difficult to stay active during the cold winter months. Between shorter days and low temps, most people don’t have the energy or motivation to work out. Unfortunately, this combined with high-calorie dishes typically served during the holidays make it easy to let weight creep on. However, by staying active during the winter months, you will not only stay trim, but healthy as well.

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Motivating Yourself To Stay Active

You already know that fitness and health go hand-in-hand, but do you know precise healthy lifestyle tips? As you decide how important exercise is in your daily routine, consider that exercise:

  • Keeps your weight down
  • Promotes a healthy heart
  • Makes the body more efficient at absorbing oxygen
  • Helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels
  • Keeps blood pressure at the ideal level
  • Gets you up and moving for a healthier body and mind

The Best Types of Exercise

Getting enough exercise doesn’t necessarily mean spending hours at the gym, subjecting yourself to machines and trainers. There are plenty of other more natural ways to get exercise. Try the following healthy lifestyle tips:

  • Get outside: Walking, jogging or riding your bike is a refreshing way to promote a healthy lifestyle.
  • Exercise in short bursts: Even the busiest person can squeeze ten minutes of exercise into the day! Try taking a ten-minute walk during your lunch break three days a week to lower your blood pressure and support better heart health.
  • Take small steps: Getting enough exercise throughout the day doesn’t require you to make an event of it. Take measures to get moving, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking around at your child’s sporting event and doing lung exercises during the evening news. It takes more effort, but these little healthy lifestyle tips pave the way to better physical fitness.
  • Find something you love: Exercise doesn’t have to feel like a chore if you’re doing something you enjoy. Take walks with a friend, dance in your living room, sign up for a Zumba class or go swimming at the neighborhood pool.
  • Don’t forget strength training: A cardio workout is easy to get by jogging, biking, swimming, dancing or even bowling, but weight lifting and strength exercises are also important. As a healthy lifestyle tip, try lifting weights in your living room to your favorite music for 20 minutes three days a week. Your efforts will strengthen your muscles, get your heart pumping and improve your overall health.

 

Keeping Your Children Active

With so many electronic devices readily available these days, it’s often difficult to get your kids up and moving. Even adults have trouble finding the time (or energy) to work out. Finding family activities that everyone can participate in together is often the best way to ensure your family is getting the amount of exercise they need. Below are four surefire ways to get your family moving.

 

  1. Go for a walk. Incorporating a walk into your family’s daily routine is a great way to get everyone outside for some fresh air and exercise. On days when the weather might not be so great, take your family to the mall after dinner where you can walk around indoors. Getting into a habit of going for a pre- or post-dinner walk encourages routine exercise.
  2. Create a sports/game night. Whether your family is into baseball, bowling or putt-putt golf, find an activity that everyone enjoys and try to dedicate one night each week to participating in it together. For some families, this may involve joining a baseball league, while others may be happy with a neighborhood ball game. Whatever your preference, just make sure everyone is involved in some way.
  3. Run for charity. Signing up for a charity walk/race is an excellent way to blend exercise and giving back. Encourage your children to raise money for the cause and go on a few practice walks/runs in the weeks leading up the race to get everyone excited.
  4. Have a dance party. Even if you’re not the most talented dancer, crank up the music and get moving. Be sure everyone gets to choose a song and make it fun by having a dance off between family members.
  5. Pick up a new sport: Do your children get bored easily? Introduce them to a new sport and encourage them to play often. Playing sports and participating in general exercise activities will have them burning calories in your backyard instead of staring at the TV or phone screen all day.

 

Remembering Why You Do It

Do you need to shed a few pounds or generally get more active? Sometimes all you need is the right type of mental push. Remembering why you are working to get healthy is often the best way to ensure you keep going.

Get More Productive at Work

Do you dread going to work and feel tired for the majority of the time you’re there? Several studies have shown that exercising before work leads to more productive and energetic employees. Getting up a bit earlier may seem hard to do at first, but before too long it will feel like second nature. Exercising in the morning will not only help you become more productive at work, it will also free up your time and avoid crowded gyms at the end of the day.

Exercising in the morning doesn’t necessarily require a gym. You can reach your workout goals by jogging around your neighborhood, using your old treadmill or by following your favorite exercise video.

Be Around Longer For Loved Ones

Every mom wants to be around for her children and future grandchildren. One of the easiest ways to ensure that you’ll be around for them is to take your health more seriously. If it’s been a while since you last worked out, and you’re interested in less demanding exercises, try swimming a set amount of laps each day or walking routes throughout the neighborhood to help you burn calories and get back into a regular workout routine.

Team Up With A Buddy

Finding a workout partner to get healthier with is a tremendous way to become more active. You and your partner will simultaneously motivate one another to reach your shared fitness goals. Consider pairing up with a spouse, neighbor, parent or co-worker to help push you harder and keep you motivated.

Inspire Others

Be someone else’s strength. Some people are best motivated by the idea of inspiring others. Whose life can you positively impact by becoming more active and healthy?

CareNow® Can Help

If you need to schedule a checkup appointment or just want to talk to a medical professional about ways to make yourself healthier, consider CareNow.

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Disclaimer: Patients’ health can vary. Always consult with a medical professional before taking medication, making health-related decisions or deciding if medical advice is right for you.