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Exercise – The Healthy Basics

By Joe | July 29, 2009

What is exercise really? And why do so many of us ignore doing it? In reality exercise is essential in order for us to be and remain healthy.

Exercise comes in many forms and does not necessarily mean spending thousands of dollars to go to a gym or hire a trainer. Whenever we move our body we are performing some type of exercise. Clearly the more we move and the more intense the activity the better it is for our overall health.

While you can get exercise in your everyday life it would be a good idea to develop a regular exercise program that you will stick with and actually do. Not every day is an active one, so we need to ensure we get sufficient movement and exercise.

Today many of us lead sedentary lives as opposed to our ancestors who were involved in much more physical labor. We sit at our desks, or behind our computers, only to get up to make coffee, talk to a colleague, or go to the bathroom. We really need to start finding enjoyment in a regular program that will get us physically engaged.

When we consider an exercise program we need to keep several things in mind that are key to our overall fitness. We need to consider something that we enjoy and will continue doing. We need to consider an exercise that will help improve our flexibility, increase our endurance and build our strength. All these elements should be considered in your search for your own unique exercise regime.

The most important element however is to find something that you enjoy and will continue doing. It matters not how great the activity is, if you don’t do it then it won’t matter one bit. There are many forms of exercise available these days, all the way from yoga to walking. Each has its own benefits and trade offs.

Whatever exercise you pick it is important to start out slow and build your way up. Remember Rome wasn’t built in one day, and neither will your body become that of an Olympic athlete in one day.

Do your exercise for 30 days and it will become a habit. A healthy habit that will help you get stronger, healthier, and when the endorphins get released – even happier. Exercising will help reduce your stress, it will give you an opportunity to be by yourself and have some quiet time, (obviously that depends on the form of exercise you choose). Exercise is great for every aspect of your life.

So choose wisely and begin right now, today, immediately – did I say ASAP? It really is that important. It’s right up there with breathing, eating, and sleeping.

And please remember to consult with a doctor or health care practioner before you do anything new or strenuous.

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Healthy Cells Are Happy Cells: In Other Words, What Are The Benefits and Why It Is Important To Have

By Joe | July 28, 2009

What are the real benefits of exercising? We always hear that we should exercise. Well that’s nice, but why? What is the real benefit or value in exercising anyway? Some may think it is obvious, but not everyone feels the same way. Its like taking castor oil, while it may be good for what ails you, not too many people willingly take it.

A very good friend of mine has a favorite expression “Success Leaves Traces”. How does this relate to exercise you may ask? Valid question-if we look around us we can’t help but notice that the healthiest people are typically the ones that are in good physical shape and either are very much into sports or do some form of regular exercise. Please note there is always the exception.

So it seems to me that if we really want to be healthy, then exercise should be an integral part of our lifestyle. Frankly, exercise should be non-negotiable. To quote a popular saying ‘Just Do It’.

Ok. Now that we’ve agreed exercise has value and is important, what’s the next step? Well, the next step is to decide what kind of exercise you enjoy. If you enjoy it you will very likely have a good probability of doing it. If you don’t like the exercise you’ve decided to do there is a100% likelihood that you will stop doing it. So pick something that is easy to do, inexpensive, enjoyable and fits your interests and lifestyle. (Hint: do not go out and buy enough exercise equipment to start a gym at home. It’s not necessary and you likely will not use it. I am speaking from personal experience here).

It comes down to this: as we mature, (nice way of saying as we get older), our body needs movement, we need to rejuvenate and revitalize our cells. It’s a proven fact that our bodies rebuild themselves every so many years. Each cell group gets replaced every so often. The problem is that as cells age they lose the blueprint they originally had, and with each refresh we are replicating slightly less performance.

If you’re still with me you’re probably wondering if your particular exercise is really of any value. I must tell you not all exercises are equal. If you walk one hour every day that is great, but it’s not the same as swimming for 1 hour every day, or lifting weights for 1 hour a day. It is a whole lot better than nothing: but remember we get out of something exactly what we put into it.

You need to have a sit down meeting with your self. You need to decide what you really want: not your spouse, parents, boss, etc., what do you want? Keep in mind quick fixes aren’t really permanent or the healthiest. So decide what you want to achieve. Then make a plan on how you’re going to get there and then just do it.

I will give you one suggestion to consider. Some months ago I heard David Hall speak. His program uses the Cellerciser. Basically it is a rebounder on steroids. David explains it very simply: if you had an exercise that could exercise every single of your trillions of cells, use gravity by multiplying its effect, be simple to do, cost very little, could be done at home and get great results – what more would you want or need? This is an exercise routine I’d strongly suggest you consider.

Bottom line – pick something you like, pick anything you can do, pick something that can grow with you over time and then go do it.

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Why You Really Should Care About Your Health, The Body You Have Is The Only One You Get

By Joe | July 27, 2009

I recall that as I was growing up my mother would frequently say that a person’s health is the most important thing they have. At that time I heard her, but I really didn’t ‘hear’ her, if you know what I mean. I mean really healthy doesn’t taste very good, it isn’t much fun, it takes work and heaven knows we have enough work as it is.

We’ve all heard that hindsight is 20-20. That definitely applies here. When many of us are young we prefer to do what we like now – immediate versus delayed gratification. In other words I WANT IT NOW! I don’t want to wait. That is pretty much a western mentality, but our instant lifestyle is spreading around the world. Think about our society: the quick foods, the scanners at grocery stores, 24/7 weather and news via the internet, no longer having to wait for the 6 o’clock news.

We’re all looking for that magic pill. The one we take once a month and it is time released, we don’t even want to bother doing it daily. Then again some may want the magic pill to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. The problem is that our bodies don’t work that way. Our body is truly a fantastic and miraculous creation. When you think about all that goes on without our intervention with the breathing, blood flow, cell repair, elimination, etc.

That is the gift each one of us has been given, so how are we maintaining it? Remember while there may be spare parts available to some, they are expensive, very high risk, and they don’t come with any guarantee.

The reality is we have this one body to see us through this lifetime. As we get older, if we haven’t been taking care of our body our cells won’t regenerate in a healthy way. They will be slightly off each time, slightly less than healthy every year. It all adds up until we wake up one day with diabetes, an ulcer, a stroke or whatever. We’ve disregarded all the preventative maintenance and are now in replace and repair mode. The quality of our life changes almost overnight. The truth is that it’s been changing every day but we were too busy to pay attention and deal with it.

I don’t like telling others what to do, but let me make some personal observations. In the spirit of if I had to do it all over again. If I’d have to do it all over again:

So for me I’m changing right now to follow my own advice. How about you?

Topics: HSE Articles | 8 Comments »

Depression: Causes and Action Steps

By Joe | July 25, 2009

It seems to me that in the past dozen years or so there are more illnesses and various challenges for people to deal with. As I was growing up I don’t recall hearing much about depression. It seemed people dealt with the issues that came their way and they made it through one way or another.

Now maybe the issue is that few people talked about it 40 years ago, I don’t know. What I do know is there are about 70 million Google listings for depression and about 13 million Google searches on that topic every month. With that many people searching for information it is a huge issue.

Yes, there are many different reasons people experience depression. Often it is not just one event or issue, rather a combination of events. It can be looked at like adding sticks to a camel’s back – while a single stick won’t break the camel’s back, if enough get put on, the camel will collapse. It is a similar effect with people. One day we are fine, and POW, the next we are as flat as a pancake.

“So what happened, and why did it happen to me?” you may well ask. We don’t need the world to crash around us in order to be depressed, it just takes one or several things and we are out of whack. Some of the bigger issues that cause depression can be:

One key ingredient to getting out of depression is to seek help. Sometimes our greatest fears and trauma’s can be trivial to others. If you are terrified of climbing a ladder for example, I can assure you that to a carpenter, it is a matter of daily activity. If you can find someone who has mastered what it is that you are depressed about, perhaps they can help you see things differently or offer you advice on how to handle your depression.

Then there is always the professional venue. The medical profession, counselors and therapists can offer you numerous options on how to deal with what is going on. It is important to recognize the situation and deal with it before it can do more harm to your mind, body or life.

Here are my recommendations in order:

The bottom line is don’t go it alone. If you do not handle your depression quickly it will continue to grow and become an even bigger challenge. It is like a magnet. It will start getting you depressed about everything that comes your way. You have now turned an itch into a full blown body rash.

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