Well, despite what we all thought, it appears that warm weather will make a cameo in 2011. I know we are all excited to have it come, as well as, the activities that it brings: boating, motorcycles, bikes, hikes, swimming, etc. The statement I hear the most as warm weather approaches is, “gotta get in shape, swimsuit season is here.” The fact is we all need to be active and make good choices and we need to do it year round. The aesthetic benefits are nice, but we know the real benefits to our health are much deeper and greater. What is it that stops us from being active all the time and not just when we want to look better?
The most common excuses are time and money. The time issue should be a non-factor. 30 minutes per day will make a big difference and 60 even more so. This is really not big commitment of time. Even the most time crunched people have 30 minutes to spare. Stop watching TV or get up a little earlier in the morning. If your schedule really does not have 30 minutes in it, then you need to check your schedule because it is too much and you must create time for you to take care of yourself. That kind of schedule is literally killing you.
The money issue doesn’t need to be a factor, either. You need no expensive equipment. You don’t need a gym membership. You don’t even need fancy shoes. You can walk or run in cheap, old sneakers. In fact, there is research mentioned in the book Born to Run (please read this book) that indicated that the best indicator for running injuries wasn’t weight, age, speed, etc. No, it was cost of shoes. The runners in shoes costing more than $95 were 2x as likely to be injured as runners in shoes costing less than $40 (pg. 172). Amazing! You literally need nothing but the will to step out your front door and go.
My wife and I run, so does Kathleen. Dr. Stephanie will get out there too. Running provides so many benefits to your health. You don’t need to start fast or long. Start by mixing running with walking. Do a blend of 1 min running and 3 or 4 walking to start and then keep balancing the ratio till you run more then walk. Check Jeff Galloway’s books or website for more on this method (http://www.jeffgalloway.com/). I have a family member who says they will only run, if being chased by a bear. I also hear many people say that they CAN’T run or running isn’t fun. This is usually true because people start out going to fast or too far and get injured. Start slow and short and allow your body to adapt. You will be fine…..really. Let me assure you, we were designed to be runners. Our bodies are made for it. We are the only bipeds (walks on two feet) on earth to have a nuchal ligament. This is a ligament at the base of the skull used to stabilize the head when running. The only other species to have this are running animals like cheetahs. We also have achilles tendons. Chimps don’t, for example, and can’t run far or fast. We have the achilles to act as a spring that stores energy and propels us forward. Our body sweats to regulate temperature, where as a ….dog, for instance, removes heat via panting. So eventually the dog will have to stop because if he runs too long he can’t breathe heavy to get air and regulate body temperature. You can. See, your anatomy is designed to run. We may just be a bit out of practice, but your body wants to get back to what it was made to do.
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| 2010’s “Couch Potato to 5K” group |
If you feel intimidated to start, check out our “Couch Potato to 5K” workshop at our Meredith office Wednesday 5-11-11 at 6:15. We will learn this run/walk method, have a community to support you, and will do a fun race together. We did this last year and many people be able to complete their first 5K run. It’s really a fun way to get started and encourage you to come on out. Anyway about it, though, I mostly encourage you to get out, move, have fun, be healthy, and give yourself the most you can out of life. Have a great day! Also, happy mother’s day to all you moms, my wife Amanda, and of course my own mother Trish.
In Health, Dr. Graham, chiropractor