Getting Active can be Fun

People who have excess body fat – especially if a lot of it is at the waist – are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors.  Excess weight increases the heart’s work.  But, losing even as few as 10 pounds, you can lower your heart disease risk. 

Trying to squeeze 30 minutes of physical exercise into a hectic schedule?  Figuring our how to do that can be a work-out in itself.   But you can break up your activity into shorter segments. 

What one physical activity for your heart can YOU add to this week’s schedule?

Here are some suggestions from UVA employees:

• Try desk exercises – stretching and strength
• Walk to work from parking lot instead of taking the shuttle
• Make playtime active so you can exercise with your kids

More tips and suggestions:

• Walking at work – before/after lunch
• Having a buddy – to be accountable to someone
• Avoid the all or none mentality - some activity is better than no activity
• Always aim for more

Comments from the community health talk:

• Working at computer, think ergonomics and sit on a exercise ball, helps build core muscles
• Take exercise breaks – short spurts for health benefits, 3 ten minutes breaks each workday.
• Vary and change up your exercise routine, lift weights, take the stairs
• Make exercising fun. List to music
• Housecleaning burns calories – so wash floors, clean baseboards
• Take dog for a walk rather letting it out in the fence
• Gardening is good exercise
• Set reasonable goals
• Dancing – clogging, dance exercises, contra-dancing
• Weight-bearing exercise
• Play golf or tennis
• Tell your kids to move over so that you can use the Wii
• Take stretch breaks during TV commercials.  Mute the TV and do sit-ups or use exercise ball.

Thoughts from a heart-healthy lunch:

• Have accessible exercise equipment at work such as dumbbells and a exercise balls.  I take a 5 minute exercise break several times per day.
• Accumulate short bouts of exercise