Monday, December 12, 2011

The Single Best Thing

I've been thinking a lot about this post, and whether or not to write it.  Should I?  Shouldn't I?  Will I come across all preachy?  After a lot of thought, I decided to just throw all caution to the wind and just do it because this is a topic that I feel incredibly passionate about...and this is my blog, so why the heck not, right?   Ha!  As I've mentioned previously, I'm a live-and-let-live kinda gal...I don't like to foist my opinon on others, and don't go around espousing my thoughts on everything under the sun to anyone who will listen.  I'm generally a laid back kinda gal...that is, until you start talking about health.

Look out folks...Health Nut Harpy is in da house!

I saw this cool video the other day, and I felt that I just had to share it because the message behind it was such a good one (and the drawing in the video is pretty effing awesome!):



Dr. Mike Evans, the force behind this video, talks about the single thing that you can do that will make the biggest difference and return on investment to your health.  According to Dr. Evans, this one thing done regularly can:

 - reduce rates of pain and disability with those with knee arthritis by 47%
 - reduce progression of alzheimers and dementia by up to 50%
 - reduced progression to diabetes by 50% for patients with high risk of diabetes
 - reduce anxiety by up to 48%
 - for patients suffering from depression, up to 30% were relieved with a low dose and 47% with a high dose

Sounds pretty awesome, right?  So what is this one single thing, you're wondering? 

Exercise.

Yes, exercise.  The word strikes fear in a lot of people's hearts...people always have visions of toiling for hours in a gym, running for hours on the dreadmill, sweating buckets and hating every second of it.  By exercise, Dr. Evans isn't meaning doing triathlons and running for hours at a time...by exercise he simply means walking a half hour to an hour a day, which should be enough to recognize some pretty significant health benefits as mentioned above.  As Hippocrates said, walking is man's best medicine....now that Hippocrates was a pretty smart fella I believe, so I'm more than inclined to listen to him, no?

I know a lot of people will say they don't have time to exercise...too busy, too tired, etc.  This may sound harsh, but being busy is not an excuse...think of it this way, you are investing a half hour in yourself and your family and friends.  Are you really too busy for that?  So for those people who being too busy to exercise is the excuse, here is a cartoon that might make them rethink that logic:

HBBC:  Dec 11, 6 points (10K/6 mile run), Dec 12, 7 points (60 mins bootcamp, F/V)...been so bad at tracking on the blog so I'm just going to start from yesterday!

4 comments:

Char said...

I don't think it's preachy at all. Exercise is what our bodies were made for. We function better when we do it = both mentally and physically. But if you're preachy then I must be too.

Angie said...

1 - Never stay quiet about things you are passionate about. I know that little asian lady has some spice in her - let it shine.
2 - You and a coworker have inspired me with your drive and committment...combined with my overall frustration over lack of exercise (and feeling it more and more every day)... I am in to week 2 of a daily treadmill. Wake at 5am-ish and get on the treadmill. Adding a minute a day and increasing speed. Amazing how quickly one notices the difference! Don't expect me to run a marathon... but I'm working up to my hour a day!
Love ya!

Cindy said...

Ange - *verklempt* that is absolutely awesome...i want you around for as long as possible so when we're old, we can check out the young boys from our rocking chairs and wipe the drool off each other's chins! keep up the fantastic work...you rock! XOX

Unknown said...

I try to view exercise as being like brushing my teeth. It's something I just have to do in order to feel normal. Non-negotiable.