Move It To Lose It!

Obesity is one of the leading risk factors for type II diabetes. While striving to maintain good nutrition is important, it is just as important to incorporate exercise into your daily routine to prevent those additional pounds from accumulating. Anywhere between 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity or 300 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity and 2 days of strength training per week is currently recommended for adults. Older adults 65 years and older should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardiovascular activity and 2 days of strength training per week. It is recommended that children do at least 60 minutes of cardiovascular activity per day, 3 days a week of strength training, and at least 3 days a week of bone strengthening activities such as jumping rope or running.

What counts as strength training?
~Yoga
~Pilates
~Resistance Band Training
~Weight-lifting
~Sit-ups and push-ups (for children)

What counts as moderate-intensity exercise?
~Walking briskly (3 miles per hour or faster, but not race-walking)
~Water aerobics
~Bicycling slower than 10 miles per hour
~Tennis (doubles)
`Ballroom dancing
~General gardening

What counts as vigorous-intensity exercise?
~Race walking, jogging, or running
~Swimming laps
~Tennis (singles)
~Aerobic dancing
~Bicycling 10 miles per hour or faster
~Jumping rope
~Heavy gardening (continuous digging or hoeing)
~Hiking uphill or with a heavy backpack

As you age your metabolism not only slows down, but your schedule tends to become busier as well. Presented with additional responsibilities as your family grows and career expands, exercise may have taken a place at the bottom of your priority list. There’s nothing that says you have to complete all of your cardiovascular activity in one block of time during the day. If your schedule only prevents doing 10 minutes of physical activity at certain times throughout the day, that’s better than nothing! Get creative – can you start walking, jogging or cycling to work one day a week perhaps? Explore joining a walking, running, or cycling group to help you get started or keep it up. Or better yet, start your own with your friends and family! Make November the month that you adopt a lifestyle change that will shape the rest of your life.

Information Provided by the Center for Disease Control