If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to start exercising, the wait is over! New research shows that as little as five minutes a day of cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, biking, or swimming, can result in improvements in overall health. That’s great news for the 33 percent of American’s who never exercise and the 89 percent of American’s who do but don’t accumulate the recommended 150 minutes per week.
A Women’s Health Study revealed that as little as 60 minutes of walking per week — less than 10 minutes a day was associated with significantly reduced cardiovascular disease. Another study from the University of Connecticut and Hartford Hospital showed that short workouts provide the same blood pressure benefits as longer workouts. Sessions as short as 15 minutes led to lasting reductions in blood pressure over the nine hours following the exercise.
Along with these studies, a third study showed that breaking long periods of sitting with any physical activity was associated with a healthier metabolic profile. People who took a higher number of breaks from being sedentary had smaller waist circumferences as well as lower blood glucose and triglyceride levels.
Not only have short bouts of exercise been shown to have great physical benefits, but they have also been shown to elevate your mood and improve self-esteem.
With all the benefits of moving the only question left is, how do I get started? Well, there are several ways you can incorporate movement into your daily life. Many don’t even require changing into your sneakers! For a quick five-minute cardio break, try one or more of these tips.
- Set an alarm and get up every hour and walk or stretch for a few minutes.
- Instead of emailing a colleague, walk to her desk.
- Take a walk at lunchtime or after work.
- Pace while you talk on the telephone.
- Don’t do drive-thru anything. Park and go in.
- When at the airport, walk around the terminal area while waiting.
- Get up during commercials and walk around the house or do light strength exercises such as sit-ups or push-ups.
For more exercise tips and ideas, visit the Signature Patient Website at www.mediweightlossclinics.com. You also can log your workouts, track your progress, and review your overall calorie burn!