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1. Sit up and sit back in your chair

A good ergonomic chair is designed to be sat in, not sat on. If you are able to sit up and sit back in your chair and maintain a good posture throughout the day, you will be taking the most effective step to reduce your potential for injury.

2. Make sure your monitor is at a correct height and position

Your monitor should be positioned directly in front of your eyes with the top line of your characters at, or just below eye level. This will help keep your head centered over your spinal column and reduce tension in the neck, shoulders and back.

3. Position your keyboard so that your arms hang naturally

Ideally, your keyboard should be positioned so that your space bar and the tip of your elbow are about the same distance from the floor. If possible, tilt your keyboard slightly away from your body. This keyboard position is known asengative tilt. This position will help maintain good hand and wrist postures as well as reduce tension in the hands, wrists and forearms.

4. Take frequent stretching and exercise microbreaks

Every twenty or thirty minutes or so, move! Get up and stretch. If possible, do a quick series of hand and wrist exercises. Reducing the build up of tension is one of the keys of having more energy and feeling better at the end of the day.

5. Keep your arms off your arm rests, and your wrists off your wrist support

Arm rests on an office chair are there to help you get in and out of your chair with a minimum of back stress…nothing more! A wrist rest is designed to protect the arms and wrists from coming into contact with a sharp leading edge of a work surface. Unfortunately, many people use both of these items as crutches and reduce the body’s ability to absorb shock, increase muscle tension and reduce blood flow in and out of the hands.

6. Bring your tools within easy reach

The tools you use often, such as your keyboard, mouse and phone should be positioned on your desktop so that they are within easy reach at all times. These small steps will help you maintain proper seated postures.

7. Teach yourself to dance on the keys…..don’t pound them

An individual that types sixty words a minute, for fifty minutes each hour, for six hours each day endures up to ninety thousand repetitive motions daily! If the same individual pounds their keys, those ninety thousand motions combined with the ninety thousand impacts at the end of the motions, dramatically increases the potential for and the severity of an injury.

8. Get in shape and stay in shape

If you are weak from an injury or have weaknesses in your upper extremities, you may be more susceptible to developing a repetitive stress injury. In many instances your life and well being are at stake. It is your ultimate responsibility to maintain your health and well-being so that you can enjoy a life without chronic pain and weakness.

9. Don’t do things off the job that can hinder performance on the job

Many people do things around the house that can make office work more painful. Gardening, bike riding, tennis and golf, are examples of activities that can overuse the muscles and soft tissues of the hands and arms. Because your life and your life’s work are at risk, you may have to decide for yourself what your priorities are. Moderation and body awareness are the keys.

10. Get educated

You should know the symptoms of repetitive strain injuries suffered by keyboard and mouse users. If you experience any symptoms at any time, bring them to your supervisors attention immediately. Find out what you can do to address the problems. This is your responsibility. Your company cant help you unless they are aware of the problem. Early attention to ergonomic issues can significantly reduce the pain and costs associated with repetitive injuries.

There is certainly no shortage of information about things we can do to maintain an illness-free and healthy lifestyle. Perhaps our biggest challenge is deciphering which nuggets of information are beneficial and which aren’t so great!

Developing a preventative mindset may be the true answer to long-term health, and it is necessary for each of us to implement practices which prevent sickness and disease before they happen.

Imagine never having to delve in the world of doctors, hospitals and pharmaceuticals until the very end (when it’s absolutely necessary).

Wellness guru Dr. Andrew Weil is famous for saying that he wants to live only as long as he is able to maintain a full-range of health, awareness and vitality…and have his life “culminate with rapid decline” at the end.

Living as long as we can while being as vibrant and healthy as possible—that seems like a worthwhile goal to me (and the purpose of this article)! So how do you start integrating preventative measures in your life? Here is a list of 10 practices that will help you stay away from hospitals, feel healthier and live longer:

1. See a Chiropractor

The roots of chiropractic care can be traced all the way back to the beginning of recorded time. Hippocrates, the Greek physician, who lived from 460 to 357 B.C., declares in one of his writings “get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases”. Effective chiropractic care: inhibits spinal degeneration, restores normal nerve supply, improves immunity, allows better sleep, prevents surgery, and slows the aging process. This is preventative lifestyle at its finest.

2. Laugh HARD

Falling on the floor laughing is one of the best things you can do to prevent sickness from entering your life. Laughing boosts immunity, strengthens the heart, and improves lung function among a myriad of other benefits! Making a habit of renting funny movies, going to comedy clubs and watching Saturday morning cartoons like you did when you were a kid (SpongeBob Squarepants is actually hysterical…I have to admit) can add several years to your life! 

3. Scatter your Workouts

“Shaking up” your workout routine is a great way to stay healthy over the long-term. Too often we get stuck in exercise patterns that do not promote a diverse experience for the body and mind. Although you may feel like you are doing a really good thing by concentrating on one routine, you may be limiting yourself. People who only do Yoga need to lift weights; people who focus solely on weights need should do more Yoga! Doing the unexpected creates a wonderful “pop of opposites” in the body (a major component of Yin Yang theory). I’m not saying to ditch your favorite workout, but changing it up can strengthen a wider variety of muscles and tendons, increase your heart rate and intensify mental clarity!

4. Sleep at least 7 hours a night

Making a habit of sleeping well is the number one thing you can do to boost your health and longevity, and if you follow no other suggestions on this list try and implement this one. It has become widely accepted that the risk for developing disease increases significantly for people who get less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep each night. Furthermore, lack of sleep has been associated with the worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol, and increases risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Sleeping adequately reduces stress, lowers inflammation in the cells, and makes you more alert.

5. See an Acupuncturist

The basic premise of acupuncture, and much of Chinese medicine, is that all sickness we encounter is the result of obstruction to our naturally flowing life-force (or “Chi”). Practitioners treat conditions that are a result of Chi becoming stuck, depleted or weakened and thus making the individual susceptible to illness. Acupuncture benefits the improvement of physical health conditions as well as affective disorders and instills a feeling of increased mental clarity. Acupuncture is an invaluable tool for long-term and sustainable health (And no, the needles are not bad at all)!

6. Meditate

Meditation is the practice of silencing the mind, and can increase your health and vitality beyond measure. When your mind is silenced and focused on a particular part of the body, the blood flow to that part increases and cells receive significantly more oxygen and other nutrients. Continuous meditation practice has been shown to strengthen the mind, and enables it to execute projects more efficiently. Meditation also leads to the following: deeper levels of relaxation; increased blood flow; a lower heart rate; an enhanced immune system…and it can build self confidence! A truly wonderful way to add healthy years to your life!

7. Perform Cardiovascular Exercise at least 4 times a week

Integrating at least 20 minutes of cardio workout a minimum of 4 times a week is a wonderful preventative measure to take. “Cardio” increases the capacity of the lungs to provide oxygen to the blood and improves the hearts ability to transport oxygenated blood to the cells. What is considered an acceptable heart-rate during a cardio routine depends on many factors (age, weight, general health) but no matter what kind of shape you think you are in you can lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and decrease body fat by consistently getting the heart rate up!

8. Stretch

Stretching prevents injury by increasing the length of both your muscles and tendons. This leads to an increased range of movement, which means your limbs and joints can move further and (often) thwarts injury before it occurs. Stretching also ensures that your muscles and tendons are in good working order and conditions them to handle the rigors of sport and exercise. Furthermore, regular stretching improves blood circulation and increases energy levels! A great time to stretch is first thing in the morning, and is an incredible preventative activity to integrate!

9. Eat Organic Food

It’s important to add “eating organic food” as a critical factor leading to long-term health. Bottom line, you want the least chemicals in your body as possible and eating as much organic fare as you can limits the amount of pesticide and chemicals you ingest. There is much ambiguity in the scientific community concerning the role of pesticides in human disease…but your best bet is to stay as far away from them as possible!

10. Be Wary of Medications

This is the only recommendation on this list that has a negative spin to it (where I suggest “not” do something) but I think it’s important to note the potential dangers of our pharmaceutical friendly society. There are tens of millions of people in the U.S. alone dependent on drugs, and I think its necessary to ponder whether or not this is a good thing. Although proponents of pharmaceuticals will point to the increasing longevity of human beings as a sign that they are good for us, I think what is really needed are some new statistics. Perhaps something like: “longevity while living with independence, strength and happiness” will do the trick

In conclusion, cultivating a “preventative lifestyle” means habituating a way of living that inhibits illness from ever taking a hold of you. Amid all the clutter out there it is absolutely imperative for each of us to begin taking responsibility for our own health. The recommendations in this article are holistic and timeless, and can get you on the right track for living 100+ years with full awareness and fulfillment…so try them out!

1. Spend more

The best way of maximum fat loss is by spending more calories than you consume. You may do this by exercising or by under going a work out schedule. You can also do this by lowering the rate of eating food items with high calories in them.

2. Don’t starve

Starvation is a wrong method for losing fat. Healthy fat loss is done by losing only calories. But, starvation and diet loss leads to the deficiency of all the minerals. Instead, the combination of a good workout and a healthy diet may help you loose weight much more efficiently. Though, these methods have slow results, it is always better to go with one of them as you actually secure your future health.

3. Go slow

Don’t go too fast and remove all the items that have calories in your diet. You need to have some patience to loose weight the healthy way. You may cut down on food items with high calorie values and exercise moderately. Exercising too much or starving may lead to nothing but spoiling your daily chores.

4. Check the food

It is extremely necessary that you consume only healthy food while loosing fat. Processed food items are generally not safe to be consumed while on a fat loss. Once you have obtained the results and are satisfied with your body, you may start eating all these food products but in limited amounts.

5. Eat proteins

Increase the intake of proteins in your diet as much as possible. Because, when we cut down on specific food items, our protein intake also lessens. This may lead to protein deficiency in your body which is not at all good for your health. Thus, when you increase your protein consumption, this problem of deficiency is avoided.

6. Train your muscles

Good and nice working muscles help curb fat much faster. Thus, you should also do some exercises to train your muscles and make them work efficiently enough.

7. Hydration

Drinking lot of water is a must while under going a fat loss. Water helps your body from drying up even if you don’t consume food for days. Thus, while you are suffering a calorie loss, drinking a lot of water is a must to keep your body working efficiently and up to the mark.

8. Track your progress

You should keep a track on even the minor goals that you have achieved in your weight loss program. This may help you work with more enthusiasm as you know that you are getting good results.

9. Goals

It is extremely important to set timely goals to be achieved for making the fat loss process faster. The goals may urge you work faster and more efficiently. Achieving those goals may keep you happy and satisfied with the results of your program.

10. Consistency

It is extremely necessary to be consistent while you are on a quick fat loss program. If you skip any of your schedules even for a single day, the results may be postponed by days. Thus, consistency is extremely important while loosing fat.

So, you’re a nerd (or a geek, if you prefer). You spend your life sitting in front of your computer, your TV, or your latest book. You don’t play sports, you don’t go running, hiking or cycling, and the word gym conjures up painful memories from middle school.

And you’ve put on a bit more padding than you’d like.

The problem is, you can’t stand exercise, you don’t want to spend the next 2 months eating cardboard food, and you don’t want to record your every caloric intake with a spreadsheet (though if that idea appeals to you, go for it). What’s a geek to do?

Well, here are some tweaks you can make to your lifestyle that, with a minimum of effort, will help. They won’t take the weight off quickly, but they’ll lower it over time.

And you might be able to keep it off better than someone who goes on a crash diet, because you’re changing your habits, not just making a short-term change.

1. Take the stairs, not the elevator

You have to get there somehow. Take a few extra seconds and get some incidental exercise on the way to work. (If you work on the 47th floor, you can try taking the elevator most of the way, and getting off early.)

2. Walk a bit more, drive a bit less

Instead of hunting for a parking space close to the store, grab one of the many spaces a bit further off. Take 10 minutes to walk down the street to lunch instead of driving. Park the car and walk into the restaurant instead of taking the drive-through. You’ll get a little exercise, and you’ll save a little gas.

3. Cut out sides

If you go to a sandwich shop, just get the sandwich. Skip the chips or potato salad. If you have a burger, skip the fries. If you absolutely have to get some sort of side, make it a side salad or a piece of fruit (if that’s an option), or at least something with intrinsic nutritional value beyond starch and grease.

4. Cut restaurant meals in half

Over the last decade or two, restaurants in the US have become very *ahem* big on portraying value. Look how much food you’re getting for your money! Unless you’re 6 feet tall or physically active, though, you don’t actually need two entire chicken breasts, a cup and a half of rice, and a side of lasagna. I’ve found that at most places, a good rule of thumb is to eat half the meal and take the rest home. (Plus then you have a meal ready to go the next day.)

5. Stop eating when you’re not hungry anymore

I know this sounds simple, but a lot of us had “clean your plate” drilled into us as children. And you’ll probably hit “not hungry” before you hit “full.”

6. Cut down on the soda

I know, you absolutely need that Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew. (Believe me, I know!) But if you can, try to get used to having, say, iced tea with meals. Or drink coffee instead (just don’t sweeten it too much). If you’re out somewhere with a soda fountain, and you can handle diet soft drinks, try mixing the diet cola with something else, to cut down on the sugar.

7. Try to go a step up from fast food

Sure, the dollar menu at Jack in the Box or Taco Bell is cheap, but if you can spare a few more bucks, you might get healthier food at someplace like La Salsa.

8. Find vegetables that you like

You might have to experiment a bit for this. Don’t be afraid to try things you disliked as a child; tastes change as you get older. And don’t forget to try different ways of cooking them. I never liked broccoli when I was younger, and I still don’t like it raw…but steamed, it’s become a staple. (Don’t try to force cauliflower or Brussels sprouts on me, though.)

9. Learn to cook

Home-cooked meals can be tailored to the right size, so you won’t have extra food sitting on your plate with an “eat me” sign. Plus you know exactly what’s going into them, and you won’t need to load it up with extra butter, salt, etc. like restaurants love to do.

10. Keep healthier snacks around

If you know you tend to get hungry half-way through the afternoon, plan ahead so that you don’t find yourself grabbing a candy bar from the vending machine. Bring some fruit, or carrot sticks, or cheese, and keep it in the lunch room. If you find yourself chewing down on a Twix every afternoon, whatever else you do isn’t going to help much.

Constipation is a fairly common problem for most people but its symptoms and the discomfort that comes along with it make it a horrible experience for most. Fortunately, it is easy enough to resolve and easy enough to avoid. Here are some simple tips to follow to prevent future bouts of constipation and maintaining regular, healthy bowel movements.

1. Fiber, Fiber, Fiber

A key to fighting constipation is to increase your fiber intake. It helps produce soft, bulky stools that are easy to expel. Beans, whole grains and cereals as wells as fresh fruits and leafy vegetables are foods that are rich in fiber. These vegetables include cabbage, brussel sprouts and carrots.

2. Increase fluid intake 

In fighting constipation, one must also increase fluid intake. Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day so there is enough of it to produce soft stools that is easy to eliminate.

3. Eating more fruits and vegetables also helps fight constipation

They contain substances that remove toxins and help them be flushed out of the digestive system.

4. Fighting constipation does not mean sacrificing your protein intake

The key to enjoying the benefits of proteins without constipating is by eating it with a fiber- rich food. Suffering from constipation or being prone to it does not mean you have to give protein up entirely. To keep constipation at bay, balance your protein intake with vegetables so it will not bring out your constipation problem. Proteins that stay very long in the colon may lead to cancer so eating vegetable along with them help eliminate them eventually.

5. Exercise

Engaging in daily exercise is also known to relieve symptoms of constipation and to promote regular body processes including bowel movement.

6. Ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement is also a no-no in prevention of constipation

It is good to condition one’s body to do bowel movement first thing in the morning to regularly eliminate body wastes and toxins. Even if you are busy, if you feel the urge to eliminate waste do so, before you have problems with constipation by habitually ignoring nature’s call.

7. Maximize the marvels of papaya

Papaya is a fruit that is rich in fiber and has substances that have antioxidant properties. Papaya is an excellent source of relief from constipation. It has a rich, sweet likeable taste that provides not only relief from constipation but is also filling. It makes an excellent desert and can be eaten as it is or as a drink or shake or as an ingredient in salads. It is also known to have anticancer properties so it also protects the cells in the colon against this disease. Papaya also contains papain which is an enzyme that helps breakdown proteins (which is why it is used as a meat tenderizer in many cooking techniques.)

8. Limiting the intake of foods that are poor in fiber is also a key step in preventing constipation

During snacks, go for food that provides fiber such as cereals or wheat bread as well as fruits and vegetables. Fruit juices, especially those prepared from fresh fruits are also excellent sources of fiber that prevent constipation.

9. Go for natural foods rather than processed foods to prevent and fight constipation

This means choosing fresh vegetables and fruits rather than those that are canned or have preservatives in them. Fresh fruits and vegetables mean having all the important nutrients and fibers intact.

10. In cases where constipation had already set in, the best remedy is to take laxatives

There are a lot of over-the-counter laxatives available today but it is still best to consult to doctor before taking some. This is to know which one is the best for your case because it may depend on the cause of your constipation. Fighting constipation through the use of laxatives should also be done in moderation. Treatment with laxatives should only be done until regular bowel movement is achieved and not longer. For children, they should be also be used under the advise of a doctor and should not be used on a long- term basis.

Preventing and fighting constipation is easy enough especially if you could identify the causes of your problem. By following the above tips in fighting constipation, there is no way you should lose the battle and be deprived of a feeling of comfort that could only come from the regular exercise of one of your body’ most important functions: waste elimination.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Lee Dobbins writes for www.colon-articles.com where you can find out just how important it is to care for your colon as well as learn more about preventing constipation.

Summer is the season of the year when there are more chances of exposing ourselves to sunburns. Did you know that the sun is most intense between the hours of 10am and 3pm? As stated by dermatologists some of the long term side effects from sunburns are skin damage and skin cancer.  Since we’re in the summer season,  I’m sure most of you are planning to go  to the beach, swimming pool, park, camping or any other outdoor place.  Here are the top ten ways you can follow to protect your skin from the sun.

1. Use sunblocks

Sunblocks products are very important to skin health. It’s important to wear sunblock daily since we are always expose to the sun as soon as we  go outside. Neutrogena sunblock provides you with a broad spectrum to  protect your skin without irritating chemicals.

2. Protect your lips

Oftentimes we forget to protect our lips from the sun. Lips are also exposed to cancer if not protected. Use lip balm with sunscreen  to protect your lips from burning.

3. Avoid the peak sun-time

Try to stay away from the sun between the hours of 10am to 4pm. Like mentioned above, these are the hours when the sun is at its hottest.

4. Cover up

Use hats, protective clothing, and UV protective sunglasses as barriers to protect you from the sunlight. Protective clothing can include long sleeves,  tightly woven fabric, and long skirts/shorts.

5. Be careful at the beach

If you are going to be on the beach for long hours, try to be under the shade as much as possible. You can bring with you a beach umbrella!

6. Have lots of green tea

Green tea can help block the sun whether you drink it or apply it directly to the skin.  Whenever you are going out for some sun, mix up green tea in a spray bottle and before you go outside spray it on your face or body.

7. Swim early

If you are going swimming try to swim early morning or after 5pm. These are the hours when the sun is not as hot and you can prevent from getting sunburns.

8. Use SPF containing products

Protect your facial skin from premature aging with products that contain SPF, the higher the number the better. Some of these products include creams, lotions, to make up foundations. A few products that are adding  SPF are Aveeno, Neutrogena,  Nivea, and Jergens.

9. Suntan products are no help

The use of suntan products does not protect you from the ultraviolet rays from the sun. Suntans have an ingredient called DHA which is  a bad chemical absorbed through the skin. When using suntan you still need to use a sunscreen for protection. 

10. Supplement yourself daily with any of these ingredients

vitamin E, bilberry, or astaxanthin  before exposed to the sun. These antioxidants neutralize free radicals produced by the skin in response to sun exposure. Also drink a lot of water to stay hydrated!

I hope these tips will help you keep a healthier skin for this summer! It would be great if you all can add a tip or two to the list! Pour in your comments.

Most of us believe that age related diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, adult onset diabetes, stroke, cancer, etc are the inevitable consequences of aging, but we are now finding out that this is not necessarily true. We actually have a lot more control over how we age than you might think. Healthy aging is mainly the result of how we “communicate” with our genes — through our diet, our lifestyle and the environment we bathe them in. Healthy habits nurture healthy genes.

When most of us think of genes, we think of the ones that determine particular characteristics such as whether we have brown hair, blue eyes or long legs, or those that predict specific childhood diseases. These genes are “fixed”, but are only few in number. By far the vast majority are the thousands of genes that direct all of our biochemical processes and that render us susceptible to the many chronic diseases so many people are experiencing today.

While we are each born with a set of genes — a baseline set of conditions which we can’t change — we can change how they are expressed. This means that most genes in and of themselves do not create disease. Rather, the likelihood of developing disease and disability is determined by the way we live our lives and by the choices we make. You may have the genes for and be susceptible to heart disease or diabetes or arthritis, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will get those diseases. In other words, these genes do not cause disease per se unless they are thrust into a detrimental environment, one conducive to expressing these genes as chronic disease.

There are multiple factors in your diet, environment and lifestyle that affect your genes and how you age. Many of these are within your control. Of all the factors, diet is the easiest to control and probably the most important determinant of how our genes are expressed.

A revolutionary new science, Nutrigenomics, is showing how different foods may interact with specific genes, how food “talks” to our genes and how our genes express themselves after the conversation. It is confirming that food provides potent dietary signals that directly influence the metabolic programming of our cells and modify the risk of common chronic diseases. It is telling us that food is information, that it contains “instructions” which are communicated directly to our genes.

Armed with this information, your genes commandeer various metabolic actions and affect millions of critical biological processes, including cholesterol levels, aging, hormone regulation, weight gain and loss, and much more. Eat the right foods and they will send instructions to your genes for good health. Eating the wrong foods however, sends messages for disease.

What we are finding out is that there is so much more to food than just the nutrients we have discovered thus far. Real food is packed with thousands of compounds which have a complex and dynamic relationship with one another and your genes. With processed foods however, these micronutrients have either been altered or are missing, and therefore they can never deliver the same beneficial messages to your genes. Just as a computer program won’t function well when it gets fed bad data, neither will your body. Once you understand that food is “data” or complex information that the body uses to direct the multifaceted actions that keep us vibrantly alive, it’s easy to understand that loading up on junk food is like taking the fast lane to a giant system failure.

Foods loaded with sugar, trans fats and chemicals, and foods processed beyond recognition, are simply “bad data” for human consumption. I call these “food-like substances” because they are not real food. If you eat these regularly, your body stops working properly.

It makes perfect sense, when you think about it. When you bathe your genes in an unhealthy environment, like the one created when you eat junk food, your genes “miscue” metabolic actions that can trigger disease. For example your body responds to “food-like substances” as if they are “foreign bodies”. This prompts an inflammatory response as your body tries to protect itself. Over time, continued consumption can lead to the development of a low grade chronic inflammatory condition which is now becoming recognized as an important precursor to a variety of more serious forms of illness.

Bottom line: the food you eat affects the functioning of your genes.

Here are 10 ways to improve the “conversation”.

1. Eat real food i.e. fresh, whole, unrefined and unprocessed food

Food is more than a delivery system for nutrients containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Real food is more than the sum of its parts, it’s about how it all works together, about the integrity of the information or the total message. Although you should know how to read food labels, most real food does not come with a label …vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, wild fish, organic chicken and eggs etc.

2. Be close to nature

Although there is no one right diet for everyone (as we are all different), try eat as close to nature as possible because the further removed food is from its source the less good data it will contain, and the more likely it is of being a “food-like substance” and not real food.

3. Select fruits and vegetables in a wide variety of colors

4. Buy fresh

Buy fresh foods whenever you can, preferably organic and locally grown if possible. Fresh foods are better than frozen foods, which are better than canned foods.

5. Stop eating when you are 80% full

6. Be skeptical of foods that come individually labeled with a health claim

Most healthy foods don’t need a health claim. Have you ever seen a health claim on a bunch of broccoli or on a box of blueberries?

7. Be wary of foods you’ve seen advertised as the vast majority of these are processed foods

8. Be careful of obsessive calorie counting

Figuring your diet simply in terms of calories or even percentages of protein, fat and carbohydrate, can inadvertently deprive your body of the “complete” messages that real, whole foods provide .

9. Enjoy your food, preferably in the company of people you love

10. Don’t waste your time feeling guilty if you ate the “wrong” thing

I’m sure you know exercise is good for you, but do you know why?

The Importance of a Balanced Program

Before I discuss the benefits of exercise, I want to emphasize a few factors that are of significant importance to any exercise program. To enjoy all the benefits that exercise can offer, it’s essential to follow a well balanced program that addresses both flexibility and strength.

It’s just as important to have unrestricted range of motion through each joint as it is to have a strong and durable body. Deficiencies in either aspect can leave you susceptible to injury.

It’s also essential to stay within your capacity by moderating the frequency, duration, and intensity of your workouts. We live in an age of “no pain, no gain” and think it’s commendable to fight through fatigue. All this does is ruin your health. Frequently pushing yourself past the point of fatigue may give you a fit body that looks great, but underneath, it will also be a tired body that is not performing it’s basic functions well.

1. Decreased Risk of Heart Problems

Heart disease is a leading cause of death and a significant concern for many people. Any exercise that elevates your heart rate will strengthen your heart, increase it’s capacity, and make your circulatory system more effective at pumping blood throughout your body. This will help make your arteries more pliable and less susceptible to atherosclerosis, improve your blood pressure, and in turn, lower your risk of heart disease.

2. Weight Loss

3. Reduced Pain

Most people sit all day and rarely utilize their entire range of motion. Because of this, some muscles are overused while others are underused, and the result is tightness, weakness, and imbalance that leads to muscle and joint pain. A well designed exercise program will help you increase your flexibility, mobility, and strength while keeping these aspects in balance across each joint. By following such a program, your joints will work more smoothly, your muscles will be less likely to become tight or overused, and as a result, you will have less muscle and joint pain overall.

4. Decreased Risk of Injury

Weightlifting and other forms of resistance based exercise will put a demand on bones, muscles, and connective tissue that will force them to become more durable. Stronger bones will be less likely to break or fracture, and stronger muscles and connective tissue will be less likely to tear or sprain. And by including stretching and mobility exercises in your exercise program, your range of motion will improve and further decrease the risk of muscle tears, sprains, and joint stress.

5. Improved Mood

It is well known that exercise can be used very successfully to fight depression. This is primarily a result of exercise increasing the production of serotonin which has a direct influence on your mood. Exercise also triggers the release of endorphins which are known to produce a feeling of exhilaration while also relieving pain, anxiety, and stress. This is what’s commonly referred to as a “runner’s high.” Because of these effects, you’re likely to find that good moods come more easily and frequently while exercising regularly.

6. Improved Immunity

With all the stresses of modern life, many of us have decreased immunity and get sick frequently. By stimulating circulation within the lymphatic system and improving the circulation of oxygen throughout the body, exercise strengthens the immune system and increases resistance to infection. Most people who follow an exercise routine for any length of time notice that they get sick less often during that period. However, there is a catch. Exercising too much will actually weaken your immune system and increase your chances of getting sick.

7. Improved Mental Ability

Poor memory and poor concentration have become common frustrations of modern life. Although it may seem unusual for exercise to have an impact on your mental abilities, it does! Exercise improves oxygen flow to the brain, promotes development of the nervous system, and causes an increase in various chemicals associated with mental function. With these additional resources being provided to your brain on a regular basis through consistent exercise, your mental clarity is likely to improve, you’ll remember things more easily, you’ll be able to concentrate better, and you may even become more creative.

8. Improved Confidence

While many people exercise to improve their appearance, there is a deeper reaching benefit that often goes unrealized. Sticking with an exercise program long term requires commitment and determination. The sense of accomplishment you gain from your hard work and your improved appearance will undoubtedly increase your pride and self confidence. And with this increase in confidence, you’ll be likely to find the ambition and courage to take on challenges that you wouldn’t have considered previously.

9. Improved Physical Function

All you have to do is look around to see how poorly most of us are functioning physically. Simple tasks such as walking, bending over, and squatting are basic functions that many of us can’t do without pain or can’t do at all. The strength and range of motion that exercise develops will make these basic daily functions easier to perform. It will help you get in and out of cars, walk up and down stairs, lift heavy objects overhead, and perform other basic functions with ease and without pain.

10. Increased Capacity

It’s common today for people to take weeks instead of days to recover from simple illnesses and mild injuries or to become easily exhausted by a small amount of activity. Because exercise improves circulation and metabolism, it also improves the rate at which nutrients and oxygen are delivered to cells. As a result, each cell is able to function more effectively and produce energy more consistently. Because of this improved function, your ability to recover from injury and illness will be improved, and your capacity to handle more demanding physical and mental activities will be increased.

What Are You Waiting For?

If you’re not already exercising on a regular basis and enjoying all of these benefits, then now’s a better time than any to get started. Don’t be overwhelmed or intimidated by all the conflicting advice that often circulates. Take that first crucial step and get started! you can always learn more as you go. Even if it’s only a few days per week, commit yourself to making exercise a priority in your life. I’m sure you’ll find the commitment worth while as exercise is something we’re all naturally inclined to benefit from.