Keeping Up The Progress

What do elevators, leaf blowers, and car wash machines have in common? Advances in technology or modern inventions for an easier life? Maybe, but "advances" that make our lives "easier" can be thieves stealing our good health. According to recent studies, 60 percent of Americans are sedentary. Sedentary means they do little or no meaningful physical activity. Modern advances, it seems, have changed the stand-firm motto of "We shall not be moved" to "We will not move."

God created the human body with muscles, bones, and organs designed for strength, movement, and physical work. Yet technology enables us to do less physical work and rely on mechanical muscle. As we do, our health suffers with increased obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancers, brittle bones, and a host of other diseases.

In an effort to reverse the plunging health deficit that is costing millions of dollars, The National Academies' Institute of Medicine recently released new health recommendations including one hour of physical activity each day to improve health and maintain a normal body weight. This recommendation is twice as much as the previous recommendation in 1996 from the U.S. Surgeon General of at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week.

Before you toss in the towel saying you don't have time, think of the hour as an investment into your current and future health. Combine small increments of movement time throughout the day and reap big dividends. Use the following tips to increase your daily activity level:

• Look for ways to move instead of remaining still. Walk to lunch. Take the stairs. March in place while on the phone. Wash the car by hand. Rake the leaves. If you can do an activity using your body instead of machines, your body will benefit.

• Design your own fitness plan. Your fitness plan is as unique as you are. When developing your plan, consider the number of days a week and amount of time each day you will commit to exercising, how hard you will work based on your fitness level, and the type of activity you enjoy doing. Combining 30 minutes of exercise with smaller moments of movement throughout the day adds up to an hour of movement without compromising your health or your schedule.

• Track your progress with a fitness journal. A journal is a great motivator. You will see progress in your fitness level as you move faster, work for longer periods of time, and get stronger.

• Mix things up. To avoid boredom, periodically change your routine. Play a team sport. Change your walking path. Use different fitness equipment. When you mix up your routine, you challenge your body to continue to make progress.

• Team up with others. Exercising with another person offers accountability, motivation and encouragement for some. If you need to ask a friend or family member to join you for a walk. Join a local health club. Take a fitness class. Hire a personal trainer or wellness coach. The support and encouragement of others will help you stay on track.

• Reward yourself. Establish short-term, action-oriented goals and reward the accomplishment. Reward five consistent days of activity with a phone call to a friend. Reward a month of consistent exercise with a new book or CD. Meaningful rewards will keep you motivated to reach your goal.

Remember, no one is perfect, so strive for progress instead of perfection. Proverbs 10:4 says, "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth." When our hands, feet, and bodies are active, we can avoid the physical poor house. Invest in your life by choosing daily physical activity.