Four Down, Two to Go

Yesterday I attended my fourth weight management class. It was probably my favorite class in my preparation for gastric bypass surgery so far. The theme of this month's class was physical activity. I learned so much about exercise and how to keep it from being something to dread (or thinking of it as a *dirty* word). To begin, we were encouraged to consider the following....

WWCD?

What would cavemen do?

Back in cavemen days men and women lived and worked under extreme conditions. Nothing came easy or was handed to them on a platter. Throughout the ages life has gotten "easier," and environmental factors, such as a lack of physical activity and technological advances have led to a more sedentary lifestyle. In the United States, it is estimated that 93 million Americans are obese. Being overweight, obese or morbidly obese significantly increases the risk of developing many other diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis and much more. I am living proof that this is 100% accurate. I could be the poster child for these risks. I am choosing to change this.I learned what "Energy Balance" is. To be honest, I'd never heard that term before. Makes lots of sense. What goes in must be equal to that which is being used up or you end up either too fat or too thin. Unfortunately most of us are on the too fat end of the spectrum. How do I incorporate that information into meaningful change? By looking at...I learned the difference between the different types of physical activity as well as how much exercise the human body really needs to stay healthy. Here are the current guidelines:

AEROBIC ACTIVITY

• Moderate level of activity ~ do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes a week
• Vigorous level of activity ~ do at least 1 hour and 15 minutes a week
• Do at least 10 minutes at a time
• You can combine moderate and vigorous activity
  

MUSCLE STRENGTHENING ACTIVITY

• Do these at least 2 days a week
• Include all major muscle groups such as legs, hops, back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and arms
• Exercise for each group should be repeated 8 to 12 times per session

I have handouts listing the different types of activity, goal sheets, and logs. This way I can see concrete accomplishments. That is super important to maintaining success! All these baby steps will eventually pay off with improved health and stamina. Time to get my booty in gear!