How Exercise Can Be Natural & Fun

Less than a quarter of Americans are meeting all national physical activity guidelines, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) (Ducharme, 2018). 

Yikes! This was from 2018, but I’m sure the number hasn’t changed too drastically. Our country needs more exercise right?! It’s no wonder many struggle with health issues. Federal physical activity guidelines recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week, in addition to muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week. (Ducharme, 2018). I can see why so many Americans may not hit both these guidelines, as many of us live such busy lives. However, ONLY 32% of Americans meet one of these, and 45% are not meeting either of these guidelines. That’s really not good!

In this blog, I will discuss how to make exercise more fun and natural. I will discuss in more detail how much exercise is necessary, the benefits of exercise we don’t typically think about, and more! 

Exercise Used to Feel Like a Chore for Me – Seriously!

This is from one of the hiking trails behind my old apartment.

Does exercise feel like a chore for you? I get it! Back when I was a teenager and even in college I felt like exercise was something I had to make time for and I had many other priorities. Although, I did do track and tennis in high school. However, not being the competitive type I would say I enjoyed it but I never loved it. Swimming just for fun was the only thing I really loved.

Then after college when I fell in love with hiking, exercise became something fun and happened more naturally for me. I had hiking trails behind my apartment complex that were gorgeous, and I loved how peaceful it was. I enjoyed finding new hidden trails and spots where no on was around. After falling in love with hiking I’ve been hiking in many places: Wisconsin, Washington, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, Arizona, Colorado, South Dakota, and Cinque Terre in Italy. 

Being a nature lover, I also go into biking (only after getting a hybrid trek bike), frisbee golf, and kayaking (this year), and snow shoeing (last year). I’ve also owned a jet ski for over 10 years and have been on all the lakes in the area. I’m drawn to the water just like Moana (the Disney movie). 

Working out has been easier for me to keep up with in the cold months with a treadmill at home and a TV placed at eye level. The workouts go fast when I’m engaged in watching something. I actually use it for cardio exercise throughout the year. Since I work in front of the computer, I don’t get as much exercise as someone who works on their feet all day.

I also go to the gym in the colder months and swim and often do weight training. It has just become a natural thing for me to be active and I think that’s how it should be. It shouldn’t feel like a burden or something you are forced to make time for. 

How Exercise Helps with the MIND, BODY, and SOUL

We all know that exercise is largely beneficial to our physical health. Therefore, I don’t think it is necessary for me to go into great detail about all the ways it benefits our physical health. So in general, exercise helps with obviously weight management, prevention of serious chronic illnesses (cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, and more). It also helps with hormone production.

Then, here are a few benefits that may not be considered regarding our mental health. Exercise can help with depression, anxiety, sharper memory (stimulates growth of new brain cells), higher self-esteem, better sleep, more energy, and building resilience (helping us cope with life’s difficulties in a healthier way). Oh and don’t forget exercise is awesome for stress! 

How Much Exercise Should You Get Weekly? 

There is no perfect number. Ideally, you want to be getting at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise in a day (cardio is included in that). For me personally, I make sure to get a 20-30 minute walk outside or some time on my treadmill every day. I usually do more than 30 minutes of exercise though, that’s just the minimum goal. Then as far as cardio goes it is recommended to do exercise that gets your heart rate up every other day at least 3 days a week. 

I prefer HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). I do it regularly (3 times a week) and have got my husband into it too. I have read a lot about how you can work out for less time and get the same benefits as doing exercise at a constant speed for a longer period of time. I will tell you all about it in my next blog and give you all the details! I think it is the easiest way to get in enough cardio exercise. 

It is also recommended to do strength training at least 2 days a week.

Why Strength Training is Important

What is Considered Strength Training? There are many different ways to strengthen your muscles!

1. Lift free weights or even household items (to save on money)
2. Use weight machines
3. Utilize resistant bands
4. Use your own body weight
5. Weighted medicine balls

Muscle strength decreases with age unless you work on preventing it with strength training exercises. If you don’t work to strengthen your muscles, at around age 30 you lose as much as 3-5% of lean muscle mass per year. They will decline by 25% of what you had in your mid-30’s when you reach 70. They will decline by 50% by the time your 90.

Strength training helps prevent future illnesses, helps with pain management, boosts your metabolism, improves your strength (obviously), helps with flexibility, balance, posture, improves stamina, sleep, strengthens the heart, slows aging, improves mood, increases bone density, and can improve performance of everyday activities.

Additionally, being a healthy weight isn’t just about the number on the scale, you are supposed to have a certain muscle-to-fat-ratio for optimal health. It was years before I grasped that concept. I thought strength training was all about getting bulky muscles and it wasn’t for everyone.

My Thoughts on Strength Training 

So obviously, I’m not a personal fan of strength training to be bulky or working out hardcore to gain a six-pack. Many times people confuse that as the goal of strength training. Those things are not important to me and it’s fine if they are important to you, but that isn’t the wellness goal. The wellness goal is just to have a healthy muscle-to-fat-ratio.

From my personal experience and what I see with other people, once you are at a healthy place with regards to muscle-to-fat-ratio it is pretty easy to maintain it. With all the closings that happened I haven’t done strength training in quite awhile. But, I do yoga, kayaking and other exercises that help me to maintain my muscles. If you do a lot of heavy lifting regularly you are already improving your upper body strength and it can help with lower body strength too.

I don’t think you have to be at a gym using equipment to do strength training. If your muscle-to-fat ratio isn’t great it is probably a good place to start though, especially if you are unsure what that ratio should be for you. However, you can do strength training from home even just using your own body weight. If you want to build your home gym here is what to prioritize.

Stretching – Not Needed Before or After a Workout

Did you know that you shouldn’t stretch before you workout? It isn’t actually the best thing for you. Instead, you should be doing some dynamic movements that just warm up the body first. I learned that a few years ago. It made me laugh about all that time I spent in track stretching before running. Here are: 9 of the best dynamic stretches to warm up with before a workout, according to exercise experts.

Did you know that stretching after a workout actually doesn’t reduce soreness? It is good for flexibility. That was shocking to me when I learned that, as well! The evidence from randomized studies suggests that muscle stretching, whether conducted before, after, or before and after exercise, does not produce clinically important reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness in healthy adults (NCBI, 2011).

You should still stretch though! The older you get the more important stretching is. Stretching helps with flexibility, relieving stiffness, improving posture, oxygen flow, balance, coordination, and so much more. I will quite possibly do a blog in the future about it.

What to Know About “The Sitting Disease”

Have you heard sitting is the new smoking?

Although it is not a real medical term, “sitting disease” has become popular in the last few years. Sitting too much can cause many health issues including diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and even a shorter life. Some symptoms may include: feeling tired, even after having a restful sleep, leg numbness, and body fatigue, or an inability to concentrate for long periods of time (Gmitter, 2021).

Is the solution a standing desk?

Actually, standing for long periods of time isn’t great for you either. Standing for long periods of time can cause too much pressure on joints, aching muscles, and can lead to back problems and muscle damage over time. We are meant to be physically active, we are not naturally sedentary creatures. In ancient times, people were constantly active and always on their feet. Yeah I know that isn’t really possible today. Due to the types of jobs we have today, our responsibilities, culture, and more, we are just not as active as we used to be. So we just have to be aware of our bodies needs, and find a way to live a more active lifestyle.

What Should You Do If You Have a Sedentary Job?

There are a lot of different thoughts on how long is too long to sit, some say after 15 minutes at least stand up, some say 30 minutes you should move around before returning to your chair during the workday. But, at the very least you should get up and move around every hour. It is also good for brain to take a break. So taking 5 to 15 minute breaks every hour will likely have you more focused when you return to your desk. To get the most out of your break, try to walk around outside for a few minutes before returning to work. You could also rotate between sitting and standing, but you still need to walk around once in awhile.

I used to sit too long and I’ll admit sometimes I still do. However, my FitBit has been a useful tool for improving that. There is actually a setting where it vibrates after you have been sitting too long (just during the day, not evening). Then, it has a 250 step tracker. It will track if you get 250 steps in an hour. I usually use this tool because otherwise I will just walk around for like a minute and go right back to work. But with the tracker I make sure to do those 250 steps.

Ways to Make Exercise Work for You

• Find something you LOVE!
• Reward yourself for your efforts! My reward after strength training is spending time in the hot tub or sometimes having a healthy snack afterward.
• Start small. Work your way up to longer or harder workouts.
• Find an exercise buddy. This could be a friend or even a dog.
• Don’t push yourself too hard. Results take time so you have to be patient.
• Find music you like, a podcast to listen to, or TV. You could actually multi-task and learn something while your getting your workout in.
• Be mindful. Focus on the activity you are doing and clear your mind of all distractions or concerns.
• Work out at the time of the day you have the most energy.
• Don’t work out after a heavy meal.
• Work with a personal trainer if you don’t know where to start.
• Start a fun competition with yourself, a friend, or a significant other.
• Use Youtube to try different exercises, dance, or other fun workouts.
• Create a Routine and stick to it. I always workout at lunch time and often do something active right after work. I used to force myself to do it, and now I actually look forward to it on the weekdays.

Ideally exercise shouldn’t be painful if you find something you enjoy doing. But, you also have to get into the habit of doing it.

Finding Activities You Enjoy 

As I mentioned in my blog on the benefits of nature for a person’s health, exercising outside it shown to me more restorative than exercising indoors. So if you can, try to get some exercise outdoors even if it is just walking or stretching.

Find an Activity you Enjoy – There is an activity for everyone! 

• Sports: basketball, tennis, baseball, soccer, softball, football, golf, ultimate frisbee, kickball, etc.
• Outdoor Activities: hiking, kayaking, walking, biking, running, frisbee golf, etc.
• Indoor or Outdoor: swimming, climbing, rollerskating, dance, etc.
• Winter Activities: snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice skating, and hockey, etc.
• Fitness Classes: yoga, pilates, zumba (dancing), barre exercises, burn boot camps, cycling, etc.

Being active is easier when you are eating a healthy diet. So check out my Clean Eating blog posts, especially if your diet is keeping you from moving around more. I do a lot of active stuff, and I still can’t eat whatever I want. Sigh! Yeah, it sucks! I’m a total foodie, and I’ve found greater pleasure in healthier foods than prepackaged stuff, but I have my weaknesses. I really struggle not to eat out too much in the winter time and not to emotionally eat too much chocolate.

As I mentioned previously, the key to doing exercise is incorporating something you love into it whether that’s being in nature, listening to music, watching TV, listening to podcasts, hanging out with a friend, playing with a pet, taking a walking history tour, walking around the mall, doing something creative, etc. You can find ways to be active and have fun, do cardio and have fun, and even do strength training and have fun.

Actions to Take

Always check with your doctor about exercise for any health condition you might have. These guidelines are not for everyone.

1. Find ways to be more active even if you are doing the bare minimum.
2. Work on your strength – building muscles or just maintaining them.
3. Do cardio 3 times a week.
4. Walk around more if you have a sedentary job.

View All Wellness Lifestyle Blog Posts:

What It Means To Live A Wellness Lifestyle & Why It Matters

How an Unhealthy Spine Can Cause Numerous Problems

How Relationships Influence Our Health (in multiple ways) & Our Success

Managing 3 Stages of Stress (Conscious, Hidden Stress & Preventing It)

Cardio vs HIIT – Find out the Benefits of Both!

Nature Heals the Soul, Calms the Mind & Restores the Body

Everything You Need to Know About Supplements

How to Sleep Better & What to do When You Can’t Sleep

Importance of Each Sleep Stage, Sleep Schedules & More

How to Increase Water Intake & Choosing Clean Drinking Water

Key to Wellness: Listening to Your Mind, Body, Spirit/Soul

Addicted to Your Phone? Ideas for Spending Less Time on Your Phone

References

Harvard Health Publishing/How much exercise do you need?. (2009, December 1). Retrieved from:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/how-much-exercise-do-you-need

Hope Instilled/Functional Strength Training for Chronic Pain. Retrieved from:
https://www.hopeinstilled.org/functional-strength-training

Hope Instilled/Functional Stretching for Chronic Pain. Retrieved from:
https://www.hopeinstilled.org/functional-stretching

Herbert, Robert D. Noronha, Marcos de. Kamper, Steven J. (2011, July 6). NCBI/Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Retrieved From: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21735398/#:~:text=Authors’%20conclusions%3A%20The%20evidence%20from,muscle%20soreness%20in%20healthy%20adults

Ducharme, Jamie. (2018, June 28). TIME/Only 23% of Americans Get Enough Exercise, a New Report Says. Retrieved from: https://time.com/5324940/americans-exercise-physical-activity-guidelines/

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