In article #50 I promised that I would spend the next few articles reviewing the step by step process that I call “Just One More Thing.” If you haven’t read that article please ask for a copy. As a quick review, just one more thing is the process of incorporating just one more healthy habit into your daily activities until it becomes part of your lifestyle. When it is habit you then pick a new “just one more thing” and work on it. If you stack up enough of these good habits, you will direct your health along a pathway that will lead to a longer and greater quality of life.
Step 1 was to drink enough water to keep your cells hydrated. Step 2 was to get adjusted weekly to keep your joints healthy and your nerve system interference free. I essentially ignored healthy eating as this is a given and beyond the scope of a one page article. And that leads us to step 3, the “E” word.
Exercise is a critical “just one more thing” to add to your lifestyle and for so many reasons. There are two kinds of exercise, let’s call them aerobic and toning. The purpose of aerobic exercise is to keep your cardio-vascular system healthy. Of the two types of exercise this is the most important. You won’t die from poorly toned abs but you will die from a poorly toned heart. So I recommend that you at least get your heart pumping in your target rate for 45 minutes – 3 times per week or more. If you want information on target heart rates you will find an American Heart printout on the information tree by the check out desk. My favorite method to do this is walking up hills. This can be done outside or on a treadmill. So that’s pretty simple.
Toning is the #2 exercise and we can go on forever about this. Core strengthening is great and there are many ways to do this. But what is the minimum that you can get away with? The answer is you tone your lower body with your walking and you tone your upper body with push-ups. And to reduce the strain on your shoulders you can do the push-ups on a low brick wall or a coffee table. While more is generally better with exercise this article is about how to get started and stay on target.
My final point is what I call The Rule of One. That is that you have to commit that you will never go more than One week without doing your exercises at least One time. Life can get busy and sometimes your health takes a back seat. But this once a week minimum commitment is critical to keep the “E” word part of your ongoing wellness regimen.
Step 1 was to drink enough water to keep your cells hydrated. Step 2 was to get adjusted weekly to keep your joints healthy and your nerve system interference free. I essentially ignored healthy eating as this is a given and beyond the scope of a one page article. And that leads us to step 3, the “E” word.
Exercise is a critical “just one more thing” to add to your lifestyle and for so many reasons. There are two kinds of exercise, let’s call them aerobic and toning. The purpose of aerobic exercise is to keep your cardio-vascular system healthy. Of the two types of exercise this is the most important. You won’t die from poorly toned abs but you will die from a poorly toned heart. So I recommend that you at least get your heart pumping in your target rate for 45 minutes – 3 times per week or more. If you want information on target heart rates you will find an American Heart printout on the information tree by the check out desk. My favorite method to do this is walking up hills. This can be done outside or on a treadmill. So that’s pretty simple.
Toning is the #2 exercise and we can go on forever about this. Core strengthening is great and there are many ways to do this. But what is the minimum that you can get away with? The answer is you tone your lower body with your walking and you tone your upper body with push-ups. And to reduce the strain on your shoulders you can do the push-ups on a low brick wall or a coffee table. While more is generally better with exercise this article is about how to get started and stay on target.
My final point is what I call The Rule of One. That is that you have to commit that you will never go more than One week without doing your exercises at least One time. Life can get busy and sometimes your health takes a back seat. But this once a week minimum commitment is critical to keep the “E” word part of your ongoing wellness regimen.