Your Nutritional and Vitamin Supplement Information Resource

posted by Ronald on Jan 20

According to the US Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health (yes it is a real report…Google it), inactive people are nearly TWICE as likely to develop heart disease as those who are more active.  Turns out that this is true even if all other factors are taken into consideration.  In general, the lack of physical activity contributes to a variety of illnesses, leading to more doctor visits, more hospitalizations with greater lengths of stay, and more use of medicines. 

 The good news for you is that physical activity can protect your heart in a number of important ways.  What’s even better is that you don’t need to run marathons or work out in the gym 3-4 hours a day.  Some very simple lifestyle habits (I talk about those a lot in this forum) can provide you with a bit more physical activity each day and reduce your risk of heart disease.  The following is just a brief list:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Better yet, use the bathroom, the copy machine, the printer on another floor on a regular basis and use the stairs to get there.  You’ll be surprised at how much additional exercise you can get in right at your office!
• You can use the stairs to your advantage even at home.  I have a home office and keep many of my supplies and business materials on my desk in the basement, but I often use the kitchen or dining room table for computer work.  Going up and down the stairs to get envelopes, books, files, etc. and then taking them back down stairs aftewards provides me about 30 flights of stairs per day.  That’s a nice little addition to any other workouts I might schedule!
• Park a little further out at the mall or the grocery store.  The extra walk will brighten your attitude and provide just a little extra physical activity.
• If you’re going to the grocery store for only a few items, use and carry the small basket rather than pushing the grocery cart.  Carrying the five to ten pounds for 15-20 minutes as you shop and walk back out to the car is a great little physical exercise. 
• A short brisk walk at lunch will also add a mini-exercise period to your day.  Instead of taking the car, take a walk to the nearest deli or sandwich shop.  Order turkey or tuna instead of red meat.  Order mustard instead of mayo.  Skip the soda and have a glass or bottle of water.  You can eat the pickle, but skip the chips!

These simple lifestyle habits can be easily integrated into your day.  Add a balanced diet, eat more frequent but smaller portions, and make sure to take a nutritional supplement each day to ensure your body is getting ALL the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes it needs to rebuild and regenerate and you will be on your way to a very healthy 2008!