Exercise for Life

As you may have noticed, I am a big advocate for movement. As a nurse, I have seen many patients with chronic conditions and have also seen the main causes of these. It is no secret that a healthy lifestyle brings on a healthy body. There are chronic conditions that are based on genetics or even unknown causes, but even these can be improved with a good diet and exercise regimen. Let's talk about exercise!

Exercise will help with weight loss/weight maintenance (duh!), flexibility, balance, mood, sleep, and even sex drive. I could probably end my post here... but I won't. As I mentioned before, exercise is a great way to help manage chronic conditions like hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, bone and joint conditions, neurological disorders, and mental health disorders. The right and consistent regimen will help improve these conditions and also give you the other fantastic benefits that come with it. The trick is to find the right routine for you.

*(This may not be the one you want to start with)

There are way too many to list, but we will break it down to two of them in this post: aerobic exercise and strength training exercise. Aerobic exercise includes moderate activities like brisk walking, swimming, or gardening and moves up to more vigorous exercises like running, biking, or heavy yard work. This gets your heart pumping, and the main purpose is to feel a little out of breath to know you are doing just enough. This is why they are great for improving cardiovascular health. There is also strength training (my favorite).

Pretty self-explanatory; doing exercises that involve body weight or actual weights will help to build strength, but can also help with balance and flexibility. Both are important things to focus on during this type of training to avoid injury during the exercise and maximize the workout for the benefits it brings to you. If you do not have a gym membership or your own weights at home, you can still create a strength training routine. Exercises like squats, planks, push-ups, and pull-ups are part of the list of choices available that you can easily perform at home.

The main point I am trying to make is that there is something for all of us out there. Find the style that works for you and be consistent with it. Leave the excuses about time and money behind. Exercising 3 times a week for 30 minutes (vigorous exercise) is enough to get the main benefits. We all have 30 minutes we can find in a week to do this 3 times a week, don't lie to yourself. The problem is, we find the excuses faster than the time in our schedules. You'd be surprised how much time you spend scrolling through social media. 10 minutes that you could have been moving around.

The next time you are binge-watching a show on TV or scrolling through social media, ask yourself this: "Have I prioritized my health today?" If not, "What has taken priority?" "Is this activity worth more than my life?" How long do you want to be here for those who love you? You are valuable and worthy. Choose life... choose exercise!