Inactive People

This week's topic is inactive people because they are one of my biggest pet peeves.

I heard a statistic on the radio that bothered me; The U.S. is ranked 45Th (country) in life-expectancy although we spend the most on health care and technology. 45th?! How can that be?As a friend of mine would say "what a joke". It is a joke. There is no excuse for that. Although, there are many reasons for that ranking, e.g. deaths by murders, accidents, cancer, heart problems, etc. One of the main reasons is that people in this country aren't getting enough exercise. Obesity is a problem that needs to be taken seriously. If you are walking, let's say....through a shopping complex, how many people do you see waiting for a closer parking spot. It's faster (btw saves gas) to just park the car and then walk to the store. There are studies that say people are getting heavier at a younger age. Some schools are cutting recess or phys. ed. This needs to be remedied ASAP.

There are many things individuals can do instead of watching TV, surfing the web and sitting like a blob all day. They can go see the scenery by taking a nice jog around the block, go play your favorite sport, or maybe even have a hobby such as gardening (digging is hard work). There are many excuses that people give such as "the weather is bad, I am tired from work, I don't have the time, or I have nobody to go exercise with". Answers to the excuses are: the weather can be bad at times, but there are plenty of exercises that can be done from inside your home. Being tired from work is a legitimate excuse but can be solved by resting a bit and then do the exercises. Make it a family event, so that the kids can be involved and it is easier to accomplish if you have someone to support your endeavors. Sometimes having some alone time while exercising is just as good. All you need is 20 minutes or more of exercise to be beneficial to your health. I mean, are individuals so busy to take 20 minutes out of one's busy schedule? It doesn't even have to be all at once, it could be in 10 minute intervals. Come on people, get your asses up and do something about it!!!!

Why should exercise be part of your life? According to the Mayo Clinic, these are the benefits of exercise: weight maintainance/loss, better mood, combats chronic diseases, strengthens heart and lungs, and can lead to better sleep. It doesn't matter about your age, sex or physical ability, in other words, anybody can do it.

There is no replacement for exercise. You can diet or get lipo all you want but that won't mean that weight maintainance/loss will still happen. Why get lipo when exercise can do the trick? Why does things need to be instant...wait, that's for another rant.

There are many exercises that can be done in the comfort of your own residence and many websites that can help get you started. Don't be discouraged if the results are just mininum in the beginning, like anything people work on, it takes time to see the results. Just be consistant in working out, make it a habit. I hope after reading this, that you'll leave the computer and go start exercising.

Come on people, we can do this!!! We can be healthy!!! We are better than 45th!!