Baby steps to better living
One of the biggest misperceptions people have about healthy living is that you have to make incredibly huge changes to see any difference. But, in reality, all it takes are a few minor changes to actually help you live a little longer-and to live better, too.
Recently, a group of researchers in England conducted a study of 15,000 middle-aged and elderly people, to see how daily activity affected their overall health.
Through a series of surveys and monitoring the participants, the researchers found that the people who transitioned from being completely inactive or sedentary to any sort of increase in physical activity (in some cases less than half an hour of daily activity) actually decreased their risk of dying in the 10 years to come by 20 percent.
And that's an extra two or three years added to their life expectancies, the researchers found.
Now, these findings are all well and good. But if you're aiming to increase your lifespan by increasing your physical activity, I think you might as well set a higher goal than two or three extra years and a measly 15 or 20 minutes of activity every day. That's certainly not enough to help a person lose weight or stay healthy, especially if they're in bad shape to begin with.
Go ahead and aim high, especially if you have existing health problems like obesity or diabetes that put you at a greater risk of getting sick or dying early. Shoot for at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily.
Small lifestyle changes also make a huge difference as well. Instead of the elevator, take the stairs. Instead of parking right next to the door, park at the back of the lot and walk a little. Look for any opportunity you have to be more active than you already are. Your body will thank you for it.
An easy-to-use pedometer can be invaluable. The goal for most of you should be 10,000+ steps a day. If you're truly sedentary (under 5,000 a day), adding even 2,000 - 2,500 over a few weeks time then sticking to it can be help get the pounds off and improve fitness.
