How important is exercise for good health? Obviously the human body is meant to be used and to move a lot. In past generations, just living an everyday life meant walking all over (nobody had cars), working hard to do laundry (at the riverbank,by hand), stoking the fireplace with wood in order to cook, washing diapers by hand etc. etc. Life was full of movement.
Unfortunately , in today’s society, things have become automated and people have become sedentary. Even children barely go out to play anymore. They sit inside with their video games, tv shows and wasting their time.
Today’s society does need exercise. We need to stay fit. But do we need to work out in a gym ? Not always. We need consistent movement. Brisk walking is good (even regular walking, if done enough, is good). Going up and down stairs several times a day is helpful. Swimming is a great body work out. So is bike riding. Exercising with machines for weight lifting and other things is good as well: it utilizes different muscles.
But a word of caution: as in anything good, do not over do it. We do not need to exercise to exhaustion. In fact, if not done in a balanced way, exercise can even become damaging and create problems that we never had. There are articles depicting people who developed heart arrythmias from over exercising or women atheltes who stopped menstruating because of running too much and too fast. Everything has to be done in a balance. Doing more is not always doing better.
So how can we improve our health and add exercise to our daily lives without always working out in a gym, especially nowadays with the pandemic? There are always workouts online to do at home. It helps to have an instructor telling you or showing you the exercises. It gives motivation.
But just walking more helps. When you can walk, do not take your car. When you can carry grocery bags yourself, do not give them to others to hold for you. When you can go up and down stairs more often, do so. Don’t take the elevator all the time (even if it is a higher floor). Walking up and down is very healthy and good for cardiovascular health. When you can do your own cleaning (mopping, vacuuming etc.) do it. House cleaning is a great way to work out.
Let us add movement to our lives. Get off your computer, stop bring watching of movies and get out to walk or do more exercise. Enjoy life, enjoy nature and get your kids to join you. Make it a fun family affair. Teach your children to do more, move more and develop a healthier lifestyle.