Each new year brings new opportunities to set new goals and make new decisions. For many, it is the ideal time to take control of their health and their weight. It is no secret that obesity is a problem in the United States. With fast food places on every corner and the price of unhealthy processed food being far less than the price of fresh, healthy foods, the average person is naturally drawn to unhealthy choices.
Despite the challenges, taking control of your health is a viable option if you are willing to make positive choices on a daily basis. Approximately one-third of all Americans will at some point develop Type 2 diabetes, which is almost always directly related to weight and lifestyle. The more sedentary your lifestyle is, the more likely you are to develop diabetes.
The Cleveland Clinic, which is known worldwide for their cardiovascular department recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. This equals two and a half hours over the course of a week. Physical activity can include nearly anything that increases your heart rate. You can buy exercise equipment for your home, exercise videos to follow along to, or simply spend time walking at a good pace or riding a bike outside.
According to one study, less than 5% of all Americans actually follow the 30 minutes a day for five days a week recommendation. Another study showed that children today are less activity than they have ever been before with the average child spending upwards of eight hours a day in front of a screen.
If you aren’t sure about what you want to do or try for your physical activity or what you may enjoy, one enjoyable and educational thing you can do is simply walk around a fitness store. Try out some of the exercise machines, look through the exercise videos they have available, and more.
If there are specific sports you enjoy or used to enjoy. You can look for any equipment you may need at the fitness store. You can find some friends to play with that will make it more enjoyable while also getting more people physically active on a daily basis. This is also a great way to engage young people and to get them more active.
There are so many different types of sports that if you keep trying, you are likely to find one that you enjoy. You can also go to the fitness store and ask some of the employees what they think would be a good sport to trying given your current skills and activity level.
Moderate walking is also a great way to get exercise while spending time with others. You can join a walking group, find a walking buddy, or even get a dog. Just make sure you are with people, who will help keep you moving, opposed to slow you down or convince you to stop for ice cream half way through the walk. It is also important to make sure you have good walking shoes that will provide full support to avoid injury or chronic pain. The fitness store is an ideal place to find the best walking shoes.