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3 Exercise tips for whole-body movement

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America has become a sedentary society. She is paying a costly price. Chronic adverse health issues plague our modern world. Many of them are completely preventable. We’ve brought them upon ourselves by things we ingest, inhale or use topically. Our health has also taken a collective nosedive because of inactivity. Without intending to be disrespectful in any way, a quick drive around your nearest town or city will reveal many passersby who are so obese that they have trouble walking. In fact, many people no longer can walk through a grocery store due to being overweight. They ride in a mechanized shopping cart with a seat. With several, simple exercise tips, this can change.

In recent decades, the percentage of obese children between ages six and 11 has quadrupled in this country! Think about it. It has also been in recent decades that more and more kids have access to social media and electronic gaming equipment. Even issues such as the way public schools teach (using iPads and laptops rather than textbooks) has made students more sedentary. (There’s no need to walk to a library for reference books when everything’s a click away.) Current data shows that more than 42% of adults in the United States are obese. Not just a tad bit overweight but obese.

A sedentary lifestyle causes more than weight problems. It is disastrous for human health. If you’re not getting enough physical activity on a regular basis, you’re at risk for many health problems, This includes but is not limited to high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and cancer. It also increases the likelihood of depression and anxiety.

Simple exercise tips for whole-body movement and cardio workouts

Not everyone is cut out for a rigorous physical fitness regimen, several times per week. Some people don’t like the idea of going to a gym or lifting weights. Many can’t afford it. And, that’s okay. There are easy exercise tips you can implement into your daily life schedule that don’t even feel like “exercise.” Doing these things on a daily basis, or, at least, several times per week can greatly improve your overall health and well-being. The best part about these activities is that you can do them at any time and, almost, anywhere, for little or no money. You can also do them alone or with other people. In fact, if you’re looking for ways to spend time as a family, look no further! Each of these ideas would make excellent family activities!

The common ground between each of these exercise tips is that they all help incorporate whole-body movements into your daily routine. If you’re trying to overcome a sedentary lifestyle, you need to move your entire body on a regular basis. It’s not enough to “just” lift weights or do a “core” workout, several times per week, although those are worthwhile endeavors. If your health is suffering, and your lifestyle is, for the most part, sedentary, whole-body movements are necessary to improve your physical and mental fitness.

Find some hills and walk up and down them at a brisk pace

Before making these exercise tips a part of your daily or weekly routine, scan your neighborhood or surrounding regions. Find several locations that have fairly steep hills. (Avoid remote, “scary” locations, especially if you’re alone!) You can work on one hill by doing repetitions (up, down, up down). Or, you can travel (preferably on foot) to several different hills in your community. Concentrate on proper breathing, a healthy swing of your arms and taking nice, big strides on the hills.

An optimal hill program would include hills of various grades. There are short, steep hills. There are also long hills that gradually increase in steepness. Different types of hills help you focus on different muscle systems in your body. Hills are great because they help you get your entire body moving!

Make a daily dance session part of your exercise tips

The easiest form of whole-body exercise to incorporate into your daily life is dancing. If you were to combat a sedentary lifestyle by turning on music and dancing for just 15 minutes per day, three to five days per week, you might amazed at the results! Dancing is also the quickest means for raising your heart rate, which is a primary goal of whole-body movement. Your heart is a muscle, and it needs to exercise! Sitting all day, every day, is terrible for your heart health.

It doesn’t matter if you dance with a partner, a group of people or alone. (Kids love to dance, so this is a natural choice for a fun, family activity!) Whether you enjoy a formal style of dance, like ballet, tap or jazz or just get on your feet to shake your bootie is irrelevant. What matters is that you dance! You use every part of your body when you dance. It’s a great way to get a cardio workout but also helps stretch muscles. If you sit at a desk for many hours per day, your muscles and tendons need stretching. Children who sit around playing video games will gain significant health improvements by dancing, several times per week. It’s fun. It’s free, and it’s good for you!

Bring on the outdoor games for whole-body fitness

Before Americans started spending life in a sitting position, it was common for families to play outdoors together. Nearly every neighborhood had a basketball court that would have kids (or grownups) shooting hoops at all hours of the day (or night!). Games like Wiffle ball, kickball, volleyball or Frisbee use all parts of the body. Even playing old-fashioned games like It-tag, freeze tag or hide-and-seek will get you out of a chair and into the fresh air.

Why not invite other families over on a specific evening of the week to play soccer or badminton? If you’re starting a whole-body movement routine all by yourself, you can still shoot basketball, kick a ball around a field or play a one-person game of handball off a wall to get exercise! Swimming is another fantastic, whole-body exercise, although swimming alone isn’t a good idea.

Challenge yourself to stop being sedentary

It’s true that habits are easier to make than they are to break. The toughest part about implementing these exercise tips will undoubtedly be the getting started part. You just have to commit to doing it, then follow through. It will get easier in time; you’ll see. The more active you become, the less sedentary you’ll want to be. Your job might necessitate a lot of sitting time. However, you can make sure you work in some whole-body movements on your breaks and during lunch hour.

Evening hours are a great time for walking because the air is cooler. And, you can dance indoors or out, as long as you have a way to play some music. Scratch that — you can dance even if you have to make your own music! lol Many health problems people have had in the last couple of years were exacerbated by underlying conditions, especially obesity. Too much sitting is hard on the lungs, the heart, the circulatory system and your bones and muscles, too. You can change all of that. All you have to do is get up and move your whole body for at least 15 to 30 minutes or an hour. Make sure you’re moving at a speed or rigor that increases your heart rate.

Just as important as moving your whole body is cooling down afterward. Do some stretching and remember to stay properly hydrated before, after and during exercise!

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