July 2010  

" Only those changes that are loved into being are permanent."
 ~ Louise Hay

A Moving Message

Remember when you were a child? What were some of the things you liked to do after school? Did you ride your bicycle or climb a tree? As young kids, my sisters and I used to dress up in tights and dance around the living room as if we were famous ballerinas.

Such memories can launch a new you, when you use them as inspiration to try something similar. For example, you might try a new Zumba dance class, all-terrain bicycling, or even rock climbing. If you want to get your body moving, there are three keys to success:

• Find a place that is convenient. If you have to travel, your new activity probably won’t last long.
  

• Do something you enjoy—if you don’t like what you try, do something else until it feels like fun!
  

• Connect with nature as much as possible. We are part of the natural world and our bodies crave contact with it—especially when we work indoors much of the time.
  

Experts are starting to realize that the benefits of exercise are enormous to both our minds and our bodies. According to the June 2010 issue of Time Magazine, “Molecular biologists and neurologists have begun to show that exercise may alter brain chemistry in much the same way that antidepressant drugs do—regulating the key neurotransmitters, serotonin and norepinephrine.” That means movement can brighten your mood!

Both aerobic and strengthening exercises are important for keeping healthy. Aerobic exercise like walking, running, or bicycling gets us breathing more deeply and the heart pumping more actively. Blood circulates more efficiently and we burn more calories, which contributes to weight loss. The increased activity also helps regulate our appetite.

Strengthening exercises, such as weight lifting or yoga, improve balance and flexibility as well as reducing our risk of injury. Strength training reactivates the nerves in muscles, which start to shrink if they aren’t used. Meanwhile, it also increases our enzymes, improving the body’s ability to process oxygen and fuel. This metabolic activity, in turn, increases our strength.

Inertia seems to be the biggest block to movement. Kristine Soly, MD, of The Holistic Cardiology Learning Center of Cape Cod routinely asks her patients, “Can you exercise for 5 minutes?” They always say, “Sure.” At that point, she knows she just helped them break through their inertia since nearly everyone ends up exercising longer than that.

Overall, exercise helps us to live longer, healthier, happier lives. As we age, exercising regularly (at least three times per week for 20 minutes or more) can help us stave off disabilities and provide us with a better quality of life. And if you’ve ever thought about how to stay young, Triathlete Magazine Columnist Mitch Thrower says, "The fountain of youth is movement." So, if you haven’t done so already, take the first step—choose something fun and get moving!


Sheryl’s Zesty Red Slaw