By Emily Hoffman, JRMC Exercise Physiologist
“Those who do not have time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” ~ Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby in 1800s
Lack of time is the number one excuse for lack of activity that I hear as a fitness professional from clients and patients alike. In our 2016 NYNY survey, 67% of respondents blamed a busy work schedule and 49% blamed the time demands of family members as top obstacles in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
As highlighted in the previous two weeks’ articles, both a low activity level and spending too few minutes exercising categorize individuals in the ‘sedentary’ category receiving no physical benefit. Not only is it a lack of benefit, but a sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for heart disease and attributes to numerable chronic diseases.
Working with a predominantly older population with chronic disease, I have repeatedly heard the statement, “If I’d known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself”. Like the Earl of Derby suggests, a lack of proper exercise is detrimental to our health and will lead to chronic disease. Finding the time to fit activity into our hectic lifestyles is crucial.
As New Year, New You comes to a close for 2017, you need to consider how to continue your healthy physical activity levels throughout the rest of the year without the weekly competition and check-ins of the challenge. Often physical activity can be incorporated with your current priorities and into a busy schedule with a little creativity. Whether you combine family time with exercise, walk between parent taxi driving, have walking meetings at work, or break your exercise up into shorter bouts throughout the day, if there is a will, there is a way!
You have time for what you prioritize – no matter what that priority is, exercise or otherwise, if you make it a priority, you find the time. What are you prioritizing?
Week Eight Bonus Instructions:
During Week Eight, we have the second short online survey to assist in planning and meeting your needs during future NYNY events. The survey asks questions about your current health habits –this information is used to view the impact NYNY has on our community and to justify continuation of the annual event for the Jamestown area. Completion of the post-challenge survey earns you 20 points.
Access the post-challenge survey to gain 20 points. This survey will close at midnight on Sunday, March 5th. Complete your second self-awareness worksheet to gauge your current level of stress. Each of the six questions are on a 1-10 scale, add up your score out of 60 and compare to your own personal stress score from Week One.
Thank you for joining the journey to improved health and well-being!