I just returned from a really fun golfing trip with friends. The upside of my trip was that we proved once again that laughter is the best medicine.
However, we travelled by car to get to our destination, sat to have lunch, sat in a golf cart for five hours and then went out to dinner where we sat for about three more hours. Then it was off to bed, only to repeat the process all over again the next day. On the drive home, I was thinking about how sore and stiff my body felt. After all this activity, should this have been happening? After all, I had just spent the last 2 days golfing.
A few weeks ago, I posted a blog on chronic pain where I talked the importance of keeping the body moving as one of the cornerstones to great health. Interestingly, even though I was away on an “active” vacation, it really was not enough to make me feel in top shape.
So, when I got up the next morning, the first thing I did was have a really hard workout that involved a short-burst interval session on the bike following my weight training session. To be honest, what I really felt like doing was staying in bed and sleeping more, even though I had eight uninterrupted hours of good sleep. However, once I got started on my exercise, I began to feel better. By the end, I was back to my energetic, pain-free self and, after a leisurely breakfast, was ready to get on with my really busy day.
As I thought back to the last two years, I could see that my workday has really changed since we expanded our business from very active 1-on-1 training to sitting at my computer to work on our Age Defying Workout business. Any change in lifestyle that leads to a more sedentary way of living impacts your muscles and joints in a negative way, and I have found that my back and hips have been sore since my work has changed. I have learned to work standing, take breaks to get up and move and to balance my day with work and play. It was been an eye opener for me as I was always involved in an active lifestyle.
Just recently, the results of a large, long-term study reported that even 15 minutes of daily activity for sedentary people is proven to increase life expectancy by 3 years. Also, for every 15 minutes of activity you get, your life expectancy goes up. Study participants felt that this amount of activity was achievable, even during a hectic day. The study also found that once people felt the benefits of their 15 minutes of activity, they were more likely to do more.
Circling back to my experience, I am reminded of the importance of moving the body. If you haven’t been moving recently, there’s no better time to start than right now. For those of you who have bought our Defy Aging System and use it regularly, congratulations! I’m sure you are feeling great. If you have bought the system and haven’t started the program (or have started and stopped), recommit to it today. Just do a little -- keep it to 15 minutes at the beginning and work your way up. If you don’t have our Defy Aging System, now is a great time to get it and start on your new active lifestyle.
