A COUCH potato is generally defined as a person who spends most of the time sitting or lying down- usually while watching TV, playing video games or reading. A sedentary lifestyle with little or no physical exercise on a daily basis can lead to serious health consequences down the road.
Physical activity is the best way to counter heart attack and stroke. Being active also helps maintain a healthy, stable body weight throughout life and increases the overall health and efficiency of your body's organs and tissues. The American Heart Association advised that cardiovascular health can be improved with at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity for adults. Thirty minutes a day, five times a week is easier to remember - divided into two or three segments of 10 to 15 minutes per day.
In a 2014 study, researchers at the University of Missouri found that reducing daily physical activity for even a few days leads to decreases in the function of the inner lining of blood vessels in the legs of young, healthy subjects causing vascular dysfunction that can have prolonged effects.
"The best treatment is to become more active, and our research lends proof to that concept," explained Paul Fadel, associate professor of medical pharmacology and physiology. "If you do not realize how harmful sitting around all day and not doing any activity is to your health, this proves it."
With this in mind, here are a number of easy steps you can take towards a more active life:
Make time
Procrastination is one of the main obstacles to getting fit. Dedicate a portion of your day for your workout routine and try to stick with it - mornings are the best!
Don't let finances get in the way
You don’t need a gym membership to get fit. If you work in a building you can ditch the elevator and take the stairs instead. You can also do the same with escalators when you’re hanging out at the mall. You can also join running clubs who meet near your home or place of work.
Get a partner
For a stronger body, a workout buddy proves that two is better than one. A recent study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine proved that exercising with a partner improves weight-loss results. This is also a great way to reach out to family, friends and co-workers!
Pace Yourself
Many folks wanting to get healthy after an extended period of being inactive tend to overdo their fitness routine, spending two to three hour on workouts a day, resulting in burnouts. When you begin, make a realistic assessment of your goals and gradually increase your level of exercise as you proceed.
Age is not an excuse
Exercise can lengthen and enhance one’s life. Studies show improvements in balance, strength, gait, muscular power, blood pressure, endurance and bone density as a result of regular physical activity in older age.
Whatever roadblocks prevent you from getting fit, there really are no excuses for trying to live a healthy and active life. But you do need the proper amount of energy.
Centrum contains vitamins and minerals that help give you multiple health benefits like added energy so you can keep up with your day, strengthen immunity so that you don’t have to call in sick, and healthy skin so you don’t have to worry about airborne diseases.
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