Exercise improves muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. It also improves cardiorespiratory endurance. It helps prevent the buildup of plague in blood vessels, thereby fighting heart disease. Exercise has even been shown to help prevent certain types of cancer! A person can increase their bone strength, as well, with certain types of exercising, such as weight training. Obviously, exercise also helps a person to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight once it has been established. Emotionally, exercise can help relieve depression and create a stronger self-image. Vigorous exercise releases endorphins, known to alleviate pain and create a feeling of tranquility. These are all great reasons people should make exercise a part of their daily routine. So, then, why don't they?
In the Essay on Obesity and the Environment, there are many good points made regarding the how and why our current environment facilitates the lack of exercise our modern-day lives have become accustomed to. We have so many conveniences these days that allow us a "better quality of life." In most towns today, there are several choices of fast food that is cheap and readily available to the consumer. What kind of fast food? High calorie, high fat, bad-for-you food. Hamburgers, fried chicken, tacos loaded up with sour cream, cheese, etc., all available in "super-size." Funny how you don't see a fast food restaurant dedicated to salads, or tofu wraps. Why? Would Americans choose these healthier alternatives if they were available? I'm not sure, generally speaking, but I am sure that my husband and children would prefer McDonald's any day. :) I know it's a terrible thing to admit, but if we are being honest, those bad-for-you foods are tastier and more appealing to most people than a tofu wrap. I think it would be ideal if we could find a happy medium, somehow. For example, a fast food restaurant that specialized in healthy, yummy pitas would probably have a fairly decent response. I know I would choose that kind of food over McDonald's, for sure. But really, there are none. Perhaps business owners fear that consumers would not make the healthy choice, and they would therefore not make the money they desire. This is understandable, and the basis of this essay. People want what tastes good, not necessarily what is better for them health-wise. And this is why we face the problems we face today in regards to obesity.
Technology inhibits exercise. I'm sure people were much healthier before they could drive everywhere, when walking was commonplace. No one walks anymore. Some of this is due to location: it is not really feasible to walk from Chino Valley to Prescott for work. Most of it is convenience-based, going back to the idea of the "better quality of life". Meaning, why walk when you can drive? I've seen people on my street drive to the mailboxes that are very much in walking distance. This, to me, says a great deal about what people value these days, and that is convenience. Technology has made it so that many of us have virtually no physical labor required of us in our daily lives. Thus, exercise becomes a choice.
It is true that exercise makes you feel better and gives you more energy. So why don't we all do it on a daily basis? Some would say lack of energy. :) This is a repetitive, somewhat amusing cycle: if we exercised, we'd have more energy, yet we can't seem to force ourselves to exercise. Personally, this goes back to many of the same issues I wrote about in the Nutrition essay. I hate to sound so cliche, but I fall back on my lack of time excuse. (Yes, I know, it is an excuse.) But when you work, take care of your children, and try to maintain your home on a daily basis, it is difficult to find time for everything. What gets cut out of my priorities most often? Exercise. Perhaps because, if I finally do have any time to myself, it is spent doing things for others. I have often thought how great it would be to go take a Yoga class at the YMCA, but I then immediately remind myself of the fact that gas is ridiculously expensive, and I can't afford to drive into Prescott just to take a class. So, why not get a Yoga video and do it at home? I've bought it: just don't find the time to do it everyday. Could I wake up earlier in the morning, before the kids, and do it then? Maybe... if I could keep my eyes open after being woken up 4 times in the middle of the night by two children. But realistically, I know I could find that time, if it was something I truly cared about and made a top priority. Unfortunately, it isn't. This is also cyclical, for me. I have serious body-issues, and am fully aware that the only way to change this and make myself happier is to kick myself in the butt and exercise, regularly. Yet I still don't do it. ???
Scotland has found ways to promote a healthier lifestyle. One example is their aim to put across health messages by promoting active travel behaviour through cycling and walking initiatives. I think this is great, and kind of goes hand in hand with the suggestion of another article for workplaces to incorporate at least 15-30 minutes a day into their employees work schedule to allow for an exercise period. This reminds me of when I was teaching in Prescott, and they began a program that included getting meters for those interested to keep track of how many steps they took per day. A group of teachers would spend their lunch hour (half-hour) walking around the track. It seemed really fun, but to be honest, most of them were gym teachers. Teachers of core classes rarely found the time to eat lunch, because they were tutoring kids, grading papers, attending meetings, returning phonecalls, etc. That's the problem with it being a lunch hour. However, if there had been actually scheduled time aside from lunch, I bet more people would have participated. Then again, I bet many wouldn't, and the administration would therefore have allotted time for us that wasn't being used for its intention. And the excuses continue! ;)
I think that, in many ways, we are taking steps in the right direction. For example, even when I was in high school, they did away with all of the vending machines and were making better, healthier food choices for what they offered their students. It seems that many schools are following this path, along with educating the students as to the benefits of exercise, etc. Starting young is really key, I think. If you begin at a young age, it is very natural for kids to make good choices as they become adults, instead of trying to undo "bad" behavior and learn to make better choices. Physical activity (not strenuous exercise) should be stressed, as well, for those who are completely opposed to "hard" exercising everyday. Although our daily lifestyles are always busy and fast-paced, many people would benefit from (and more than likely enjoy) a 30-minute walk as many days per week as they can manage. This, I do, and as I said, that's 30 minutes of peace and quiet that I truly appreciate.
I don't think it's realistic to think that people would be willing to give up their cars to improve our lifestyle to become more healthy. I know I wouldn't... so what are the answers? As I said before in the Nutrition essay, it all comes down to personal choice and priorities. It would be nice if our community helped in our choices, but they can only do so much. Perhaps if our society wasn't so motivated by money, our lives wouldn't be so fast-paced and busy all the time, and we would have more time to allot for what should be most important: the health of our bodies.
In the Essay on Obesity and the Environment, there are many good points made regarding the how and why our current environment facilitates the lack of exercise our modern-day lives have become accustomed to. We have so many conveniences these days that allow us a "better quality of life." In most towns today, there are several choices of fast food that is cheap and readily available to the consumer. What kind of fast food? High calorie, high fat, bad-for-you food. Hamburgers, fried chicken, tacos loaded up with sour cream, cheese, etc., all available in "super-size." Funny how you don't see a fast food restaurant dedicated to salads, or tofu wraps. Why? Would Americans choose these healthier alternatives if they were available? I'm not sure, generally speaking, but I am sure that my husband and children would prefer McDonald's any day. :) I know it's a terrible thing to admit, but if we are being honest, those bad-for-you foods are tastier and more appealing to most people than a tofu wrap. I think it would be ideal if we could find a happy medium, somehow. For example, a fast food restaurant that specialized in healthy, yummy pitas would probably have a fairly decent response. I know I would choose that kind of food over McDonald's, for sure. But really, there are none. Perhaps business owners fear that consumers would not make the healthy choice, and they would therefore not make the money they desire. This is understandable, and the basis of this essay. People want what tastes good, not necessarily what is better for them health-wise. And this is why we face the problems we face today in regards to obesity.
Technology inhibits exercise. I'm sure people were much healthier before they could drive everywhere, when walking was commonplace. No one walks anymore. Some of this is due to location: it is not really feasible to walk from Chino Valley to Prescott for work. Most of it is convenience-based, going back to the idea of the "better quality of life". Meaning, why walk when you can drive? I've seen people on my street drive to the mailboxes that are very much in walking distance. This, to me, says a great deal about what people value these days, and that is convenience. Technology has made it so that many of us have virtually no physical labor required of us in our daily lives. Thus, exercise becomes a choice.
It is true that exercise makes you feel better and gives you more energy. So why don't we all do it on a daily basis? Some would say lack of energy. :) This is a repetitive, somewhat amusing cycle: if we exercised, we'd have more energy, yet we can't seem to force ourselves to exercise. Personally, this goes back to many of the same issues I wrote about in the Nutrition essay. I hate to sound so cliche, but I fall back on my lack of time excuse. (Yes, I know, it is an excuse.) But when you work, take care of your children, and try to maintain your home on a daily basis, it is difficult to find time for everything. What gets cut out of my priorities most often? Exercise. Perhaps because, if I finally do have any time to myself, it is spent doing things for others. I have often thought how great it would be to go take a Yoga class at the YMCA, but I then immediately remind myself of the fact that gas is ridiculously expensive, and I can't afford to drive into Prescott just to take a class. So, why not get a Yoga video and do it at home? I've bought it: just don't find the time to do it everyday. Could I wake up earlier in the morning, before the kids, and do it then? Maybe... if I could keep my eyes open after being woken up 4 times in the middle of the night by two children. But realistically, I know I could find that time, if it was something I truly cared about and made a top priority. Unfortunately, it isn't. This is also cyclical, for me. I have serious body-issues, and am fully aware that the only way to change this and make myself happier is to kick myself in the butt and exercise, regularly. Yet I still don't do it. ???
Scotland has found ways to promote a healthier lifestyle. One example is their aim to put across health messages by promoting active travel behaviour through cycling and walking initiatives. I think this is great, and kind of goes hand in hand with the suggestion of another article for workplaces to incorporate at least 15-30 minutes a day into their employees work schedule to allow for an exercise period. This reminds me of when I was teaching in Prescott, and they began a program that included getting meters for those interested to keep track of how many steps they took per day. A group of teachers would spend their lunch hour (half-hour) walking around the track. It seemed really fun, but to be honest, most of them were gym teachers. Teachers of core classes rarely found the time to eat lunch, because they were tutoring kids, grading papers, attending meetings, returning phonecalls, etc. That's the problem with it being a lunch hour. However, if there had been actually scheduled time aside from lunch, I bet more people would have participated. Then again, I bet many wouldn't, and the administration would therefore have allotted time for us that wasn't being used for its intention. And the excuses continue! ;)
I think that, in many ways, we are taking steps in the right direction. For example, even when I was in high school, they did away with all of the vending machines and were making better, healthier food choices for what they offered their students. It seems that many schools are following this path, along with educating the students as to the benefits of exercise, etc. Starting young is really key, I think. If you begin at a young age, it is very natural for kids to make good choices as they become adults, instead of trying to undo "bad" behavior and learn to make better choices. Physical activity (not strenuous exercise) should be stressed, as well, for those who are completely opposed to "hard" exercising everyday. Although our daily lifestyles are always busy and fast-paced, many people would benefit from (and more than likely enjoy) a 30-minute walk as many days per week as they can manage. This, I do, and as I said, that's 30 minutes of peace and quiet that I truly appreciate.
I don't think it's realistic to think that people would be willing to give up their cars to improve our lifestyle to become more healthy. I know I wouldn't... so what are the answers? As I said before in the Nutrition essay, it all comes down to personal choice and priorities. It would be nice if our community helped in our choices, but they can only do so much. Perhaps if our society wasn't so motivated by money, our lives wouldn't be so fast-paced and busy all the time, and we would have more time to allot for what should be most important: the health of our bodies.
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