Summit Pedorthics: Heart Health: Exercise is Key!

If you are a person who suffers from any heart condition, you have probably been told to watch what you eat and get your exercise hundreds of times! For good reason though! Exercise and nutrition are our first defenses against anything bad happening to our bodies. Just as you know what would happen to your bones if you stopped having calcium, ceasing movement and not using muscles can cause the same effects. Poor body control, obesity, muscle fatigue, general health malaise, illnesses, stiff joints, and depression are just some of the consequences of living a sedentary lifestyle.

Many times we hear how hard it is for people to exercise, or that they do not have the time. We disagree! Exercise CAN happen while sitting; while out in public; while at work- just about everywhere! Here are some tips for slipping in a bit of exercise and movement at home, work, and even while traveling.

At home you can…

-During every television commercial, get up off the couch and out of your chair to do in-home laps until your regular show comes back on. Better? Use your treadmill or exercise bike while you watch! Or consider doing your “chores” (like laundry, dishes, ironing, and kid-wrangling) while you’re watching.

-Stand to read your morning paper, taking the time to bend your legs at the ankle, knee, and hip joints.

-Are you a phone talker? Move around, walk the house or the yard, while you enjoying chatting with friends.

At work you can…

-Take a break from your computer every 30 minutes. Stand up at your desk, stretch, and turn a few times.

-Stand to talk to any co-worker that comes to chat at your desk.

-Pretend that the elevator is broken, and take those intimidating stairs!

-Stand during phone calls.

-Walk to co-workers areas rather than paging them over the phone.

-Drink more water! Take a smaller water bottle or cup so you’re forced to get up to fill it more frequently.

-Don’t eat lunch at your desk!

-Suggest a standing meeting, rather than one sitting.

While you travel you can…

-Leave your car and utilize public transportation in your community. Taking the bus, for instance, encourages and promotes lots of walking, and maybe even some social interaction. In this same example, depart the bus one stop before your scheduled stop; which would give four to five more blocks of walking.

-Park your car in the farthest spot you can legitimately still make it in.

-Take breaks during long car trips, up to once or twice and hour if needed.

-Stretch! Shoulder rotations, pushing toes forward and pulling them back, neck rotations, sit and reach, and so many simpler car-exercises can be accomplished while driving, or riding!

Whichever type of exercise you’re doing, just make sure you’re sticking to it, and putting your all into it! It’s much easier to correct mistakes as you go, then letting them fester and grow into issues that take much, much more effort to correct and live with. Cherish your health, because once it’s gone, you’ll wish you’d tried harder.