How Did You Add Up?

1.25-1-0-0-1-1-1.  What did your tallies add up to?  Last week I challenged you to log all of the hours you spent in front of the television, whether catching up on the news, before work or school, or as leisure time.  Due to a very busy week, my numbers were on the lower side, or maybe they are similar to yours?  Maybe your numbers out-do my numbers by a long shot!  All reasoning aside, I now challenge you to cut those times in half. 

So if your television schedule looked something like this: 2-3-1-1-2-3-2-1, your new numbers are: 1-1.5-0.5-0.5-1-1.5-1-0.5.  These new totals are the times you should be using as “activity” time through your day!  One of the most widely used reasons for not exercising on a daily basis is that people feel that they “don’t have enough time”, but then statistics and studies come out “explaining findings that certain diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity in general are linked to increased time spent in front of the television”. 

It may be that you come home from work and take an hour in front of the television to relax, or maybe you head to the couch after dinner, and spend 2 to 3 hours there before you call it a night.  If you are not active right now, all I ask is that you commit to 2 days as a start to being your “active days”.  Maybe there are days you did not watch TV, and these would be your “off-days”; or days where only an hour was watched.  Though it is equally important to give ourselves some time to de-stress and reflect back on our day, the majority of the population needs to get moving a more!  You don’t have to take a trip to the gym, you can simply go for a brisk walk before or after dinner (preferably after), climb a half dozen set of stairs at your workplace during your lunch hour, or before going home for the evening, or sign yourself up for an activity you enjoy taking part in —-just do something! 

See how your numbers add up next week.  I’m sure you’ll still be able to catch up on the daily news or your favourite TV show!!  Ask yourself at the end of your day if you are “mentally tired” or “physically tired”?  Most often times our minds are working throughout the day, but our bodies are not as active, and though we may “feel” tired after class or work, once we get into a bit of activity in a different environment from where you’ve been your whole day, you will feel refreshed and re-energized.  The best part, you will sleep better at night!

If activity is part of each of your days, congratulations!!  It is equally important to allow ourselves the time to relax and de-stress, so make sure you are reading a good book or magazine, taking a soothing bath, practicing meditating, breathing or tai chi techniques, or having a good conversation with a close friend!  I encourage you to share some tips on how others can start becoming more active too, and we can all help each other along the way!

Good luck!