The Guidelines are Changing!
New guidelines released by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) have changed the fitness landscape dramatically. The notion that you have to make a “lifestyle change” in order to get results from exercise is a thing of the past. Small changes in physical activity can dramatically change your risk for increased disability.
When it comes to cancer, in the recent past it was a common belief among medical professionals that you shouldn’t exercise at all, that you should let your body rest and focus all it’s energy on recovery and healing. The science is clear on this: the exact opposite is true, exercise helps boost your body’s ability to fight cancer. It was also previously believed that you had to exercise continuously for 10 minutes or more to get the cardiovascular benefits of aerobic exercise. More recent research shows that you will get a health benefit even from very short bouts of physical activity (PA) that increase your heart rate above resting.
Each time you increase your PA over your resting state beyond your regular routine, you have the opportunity to improve your health. There is no need to think of making big life changes as a necessary means to achieving beneficial health goals; small incremental additions to your PA will start to show results over time.
What Small Steps Can I Take?
All you need to do is start increasing your daily physical activity to reduce your risk of disability associated with androgen deprivation therapy, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Walking up and down your street or a set of stairs an extra time or two is considered an increase to your PA. If you add small bouts of increased activity in your daily routine, you can create a significant increase in your total daily output. The worst thing you can do is become less active.
Some very small examples are getting to those dishes that need to be washed, doing regular household chores and especially getting out and watering your plants or doing some gardening that has been neglected. All of these things will increase your daily PA, improve your quality of life and reduce your risk of disability.
You may not feel like this next recommendation is a small step but if you can do it, you will see the most significant improvement in your health. Going to the grocery store, cooking your own food and doing the dishes instead of eating out on a regular basis is a great way to increase your daily PA and reduce your overall caloric intake. Restaurants don’t have your health in mind, they are trying to give you the best tasting food with the least effort on your part. Just doing this ritual for most of your meals throughout the week can have a tremendous benefit in your life.
The Leap to Exercise…
Once you have added these small steps up they often lead you to wanting to do more. That’s when you start adding regular exercise to your daily schedule. Starting with walks and hikes or maybe a bike ride on a sunny evening. Remember, exercise doesn’t have to be painful, in fact, it shouldn’t be. I find the best way to keep consistent is to do activities that I find enjoyable that also get my heart rate up.
Make time for the things you love, especially if they increase your heart rate and utilize a little muscle. Your body and mind will love you back for it. This is the road to living your active passion.
