The importance of Exercise and Movement.

A lot of focus in the health movement goes towards the quality of what we put into our bodies. And rightly so. Our food and water choices are what creates the raw materials for every cell in our bodies.

But just as important as that, is our choice of whether to move, or not move.

In previous generations there was no such choice. Just like any other animal, humankind had to keep moving to survive.
To find food, grow food, harvest food, find and build shelter.
All of these required vigorous movement.

Nowadays it is different.
All of our modern devices create a lifestyle where movement is no longer necessary.
Exercise is no longer part of everyday life.
We drive to and from work.
We have moving stairs.
We have moving pathways in airports.
And our living rooms consist of comfy chairs placed around a TV that shows us pictures of
OTHER PEOPLE DOING THINGS!

It seems like we still enjoy movement, just as long as other people are doing it!
(Like the old joke, I love work, I could watch people do it all day)

In fact, on average we watch 2 to 3 hours of TV per day.
Our other hobbies are also often sedentary, from websurfing to video games to reading. They may be fun but there is no movement involved.

The result is that we need to consciously choose to move our bodies.

And Move we must.
Our bodies are made up of hundreds of muscles, and the entire structure of our bodies don’t work unless they are moving.
From our posture to the condition of our lymphatic drainage system, it all depends on a moving body.

How much movement.
About 30 minutes per day of moderate aerobic exercise at a minimum.
That is exercise where you can still speak, not totally out of breath.
But working your body, heart, and lungs as well.

What to do?
Just do it as Nike would say.
And remember,
You don’t have to get it right, You just have to get it going.
So, if you can think of nothing else, walk out your front door and keep walking.
Other options include
Football, (or any ball games)
Cycling, (or anything else on wheels where YOU are the engine!)
Canoeing, (or anything else on water where YOU are the engine!)

Some of the above methods require various amounts of skill and equipment.
But then, so does watching TV, so we aren’t going to let that stop us are we?

Just choose your favourite and get started. Remember that if all else fails, you can always just take a pleasant walk. It is the ultimate human activity.

Categories of Exercise:
There are three main categories of exercise.

1.	Aerobic. That is the exercise of the lungs, and heart. 30 minutes per day of moderate aerobic exercise. Overdoing this to the point of breathlessness is not recommended due to the excessive stress it places on your body.
2.	Weight bearing exercise. Unused or underused muscles quickly deteriorate. A thrice weekly moderate weights work out will do you wonders. But you must learn to do this properly to avoid injury. Join a gym or get a few sessions with a personal trainer.
3.	Stretching. Daily stretching is vitally important. Yoga is the oldest and one of the best stretching routines. Go to some classes! Tai Chi and Pilates are two other disciplines that offer a great stretch.

When to exercise?

Look for opportunities all the time.
You may find that you can substitute some car trips with bike trips or walking.
(Indeed studies have shown that about 30% of all car journeys are so short that they could easily be replaced by a bike trip or by walking).
So cycle or walk to the shops/ bank/ post office.

You will often notice that you could take a stairs instead of a lift.

There are opportunities to exercise all around us.

To Learn more about living a Real Healthy Lifestyle, and having TONS of energy for exercise and for living, you can learn more about my groundbreaking healthy lifestyle guide here

Or type this in your browser: http://www.realhealthylifestyle.com/tenyears.html

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