A new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings reported that obese women only get 1 hour of vigorous exercise per year – and obese men engage in vigorous exercise less than 4 hours a year.
The report startled researchers whose main focus was to find better ways to measure how much exercise people get.
“They’re living their lives from one chair to another,” said Edward Archer, a research fellow with the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “We didn’t realize [we] were that sedentary. There are some people who are vigorously active, but it’s offset by the huge number of individuals who are inactive.”
He added: “I think they’re living the typical life. They drive their children to school, they sit at a desk all day long, they may play some video games and they go to sleep.”
In the new study, researchers examined the results of a 2005-2006 government survey of adults aged 20 to 74. Among other things, the survey tracked weight, diet and sleep patterns of nearly 2,600 adults.
Vigorous exercise was defined as fat-burning activities including jogging. However, one expert noted that “vigorous” is relative to an individual’s fitness level. For some severely obese people, walking could be considered a vigorous activity.
move, Move, MOVE!
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia – a whopping 69.2% of Americans are either overweight or obese. This is a frightening statistic considering the fact that excess weight increases the risk of health problems including type 2 diabetes (about 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese)… high blood pressure… heart disease… cancer… kidney disease… and more!
In order to promote a healthy lifestyle… maintain a healthy weight… slash your risk of devastating illness and disease, the CDC reports…
“Adults need at least 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).”
There you have it. Another reminder to get moving! You know exercise is good for you – and there’s no denying the health benefits. But are you just too BUSY to get started? If so, you’re not alone…
“I Just Don’t Have Time to Exercise”!
Does Claire’s story sound like it could be your own?
“Sure, I want to lose weight… but when the heck am I supposed to exercise? Seriously, I just don’t have time or the energy. My day starts at 5am. If I’m lucky, I get to take a 15 minute break for lunch. When I get home it’s time to cook dinner… help with homework… and then put the kids to bed by 9pm. I’m exhausted by the end of the day.
If I ever have spare time, I use it to relax. I don’t want to get up any earlier – 5 am is already the crack of dawn! Joining a gym doesn’t fit into my already tight budget. Besides the weekend – when I can squeeze in an hour or 2 of running on my treadmill – how in the world can I possibly exercise during the week?”
While many personal trainers… exercise “buffs”… and energizer bunnies across the world swear that the “I don’t have time to exercise” statement is just a sorry excuse to avoid working out – I personally disagree with that line of thought. In fact, I totally understand where Claire is coming from.
I work full-time… I have a husband and two small boys… and life gets pretty darn hectic. There’s barely time to think about what to eat for breakfast, let alone schedule in an hour or two at the gym! And I’ll be honest, my fitness routine can definitely use some work.
So, I did a little digging… and asked a group of folks that manage to exercise regularly despite crazy schedules… how in the world they do it. And I got some pretty great tips from busy corporate executives… stay at home moms with young children… and entrepreneurs that work 7 days a week around the clock!
Here’s just a sample of what I discovered…
5 Simple Ways to Sneak in Exercise During Your Day
1. Make your exercise routine EASY
A trip to the gym can EASILY eat up 3 hours of your day. That’s a lot – especially if you’re only planning on exercising for 1 hour. Think about it: You get dressed… drive to the gym… drop off your stuff in a locker… exercise… chat with your fellow gym-buddies… drive back home… shower… etc.
No wonder exercising seems like such a chore! So why not try to stay home and exercise? Try a 30 minute workout DVD. You’ll save time – and you won’t have to travel any further on than your living room!
2. Try the clinically-tested “4 minute workout”
Yep, it’s a real workout that brings real results!
In a recent study from the Norwegian University of Science – researchers decided to find the absolute minimum amount of exercise required to actually get any health benefits.
The results? The study reported that just 4 minutes… 3 times a week… of high-intensity cardio can effectively improve your health! Skeptical? You can find more about the study here.
That means you can race up and down a flight of stairs for 4 minutes – or sprint up and down a hill. You can try swimming, bicycling or just a quick jog around the block. As long as you raise your heart rate sufficiently for 4 minutes… you CAN get in a great workout even with a jam-packed schedule!
3. Turn an ordinary grocery run into a mini-workout session
Grab 2 reusable grocery bags… fling them over your shoulder… and fill them up with items you would normally put in a cart. You’ve instantly created two free-weights!
Muscle strengthening quick tip: For strength training, you can use common grocery items, such as bags of rice, soup cans, or bottled water instead of weights. Click here to discover quick strength training exercises for biceps and triceps.
4. Rise… Shine… and Crunch!
Before you hop in the shower, try doing 50 crunches and pushups on the floor in your bedroom. It takes just 5 minutes to complete, and gives you a great start to your day. Plus you’ll help tone, define and strengthen your “core” muscles and obliques, too!
Health tip: A healthy, balanced diet plays a key role in helping you lose stomach fat and tone abdominal muscles. A diet chock-full of antioxidant-rich foods including spinach… avocado… grapefruit… pomegranate (and more) will help you BUILD muscle, feel FULL longer, FIGHT OFF fat and BOOST your energy.
If you’re not eating at least 5 servings of these antioxidant rich super foods everyday – try MultiKure. This all-natural supplement contains a potent blend over 133 trace minerals… vitamins… and antioxidants to help support your overall health and enhance your weight loss.
5. Don’t forget: sex counts as exercise!
The perks of great sex go beyond the bedroom! Sex – even a 5 minute ‘quickie’- has many of the same effects on the body as an intense workout. During sex, your heart races, your metabolic rate increases, you burn calories, and stretch and strengthen muscles. And just like a good cardio session – sex has also been shown to boost the immune system and provide stress relief.
“Like with exercise, consistency helps maximize the benefits”, says CEO and medical director of Amai Wellness, Joseph Pinzone, MD. So be sure to make time for great sex on a regular basis!
Can you spare just a few minutes a day to add these simple exercises to your routine? Do you have any tips on how to make time for exercise? Leave your comments below!
Insider’s Health Exclusive –>>: Click Here to Find out The ONE “Weird Trick” that reduces your terminal disease risk by OVER 70% (and NONE of us are doing it)
Leave a Reply