Exercise is Essential to Good Health

Developing a sedentary lifestyle, and not getting my proper exercise was the primary health mistake I ever made. I went to school for a while and my first career after graduation was working in an office. So I did not get the proper exercise I needed. I thought I was very healthy, as I enjoyed my work, was not getting in serious accidents, ate decently, and got enough sleep and rest. I did not know, however, that my body and muscles would weaken and deteriorate simply from aging and lack of exercise. As a matter of fact, I worked in an office and got very little exercise until I was in my forties.

Back Pain

In my mid forties my lower back collapsed and I was in serious pain as my back was simply too weak to support me. I got serious back pain everyday and I got it from simply sitting at my desk. Of course, I went to a medical doctor and he really did not know what to do. He gave me some stretching exercises to do, but they did not help much as these exercises did not strengthen my back muscles. I did not recover form my chronic back pain until I met a trainer and he showed me how to exercise in a gym to straighten my back and overcome my back pain. Simply click here if you would like the details of how I used exercise to overcome back pain.

Employers Should Do Their Part

One reason I could exercise was that my employer had an exercise room in the basement of the building. This saves people money and time as people do not need to purchase a gym membership and waste valuable time traveling to gyms. I would like to see more employers put gyms in their buildings, and provide free gym memberships to their employees.

The Importance of Exercise

Please do not make the same mistake I made, and make time to get the exercise you need. Modern research indicates that exercise is one of the keys to happiness and fitness. According to Newsweek, people who exercise are healthier, more energetic, relax and sleep better, think and analyze more clearly, and generally develop dementia later in life. Other studies show that exercise relieves us of our anxiety and mild depression, and that people who exercise perform better at work. Even when we agree that exercise improves our health, it is still difficult to adopt the habit. Gretchen Rubin provides twelve valuable tips to make exercise a part of your life.

Make Exercise a Habit

Here are twelve tips to make exercise a habit and a valuable part of your life.

1. Always exercise on Monday.

2. If possible, exercise first thing in the morning.

3. Never skip exercise for two days in a row.

4. Give yourself credit for the smallest effort.

5. Think about the context, and eliminate the impediments to exercise.

6. Exercise several times a week.

7. Find a way to exercise that doesn't always require you to shower afterward.

8. Look for affordable ways to make exercise more pleasant or satisfying.

9. Think of exercise as part of your essential preparation for life.

10. Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good.

11. Suit up and put your exercise clothes on, even if you are not sure when you will exercise that day.

12. Don't kid yourself. Be honest about what kind of shape you are in and how often you exercise.

Source: Gretchen Rubin, Exercise Now!, Natural Awakenings, 357 Williams Road, Cresco, PA 18326.
2. www.nepanaturalawakenings.com