Fit For Life: Good Eating and Exercise - Disguised
Saturday, June 07, 2014
I do not have any children of my own, but I do have a nephew that I am fortunate enough it get to spend a lot of time with. Weather he's my own or not, every male has aspirations that other males in the family excel at playing sports or performing other physical activities. My nephew doesn't care nor does he have the drive to play any sport. His interests are geared more towards action figures than sports, which used to be frustrating to me, not because I wanted him to be competitive, but because of health concerns - such as motor and strength development. But last weekend we went on a rock climb/hike, and I realized that with what we were doing, in addition to his time in the playground, that this kid is getting just as much physical benefit as he would in a baseball or soccer game, on a team, playing intermittent turns with other players. He climbs, we run, and in the playground he develops strength on the bars, and works his core on the swing. Perfect primal training. So I came to the conclusion that instead of asking someone to exercise with you, (buzz kill to most) ask them to do a fun activity that will be a disguise for exercise. Here are a few.
Swimming
Plot a leisurely day at the beach, then create challenges in the water. "Hey, you think you can swim the length of the beach?" Or race to the ropes and back. Swimming is such a great full body workout, that you do not need to do much to really feel tired. Another fun water activity at the beach is body surfing. Walking or running back in against the current will wear out even the most conditioned person in a short amount of time. So get off the blanket and into the water for some exercise -oops - I mean fun.
Biking and kayaking
They are both fun activities that will torch some body fat in the process. The only draw back is that they require equipment, but today you can rent, you don’t need to buy. And, you can do either alone or with people. Both ways are fun so it's a win/win for you.
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Back to the topic of hiking, this requires some decent shoes, bug spray (please use organic), snacks and water. There are lots of places here in New England that offer some challenging trails and nice places to hike. Lincoln Woods State Park, in Lincoln, RI, is the closest to me, so I enjoy the convenience of great trails, but when time isn't a factor the options are endless. There are many resources online to find good trails, or even mountain biking trails.
For children
it's as simple as going to your local playground, or taking a soccer ball and finding a patch of grass. Whatever you decide, make sure your activities this time of year are outside - not only to breathe fresh air but to absorb all the vital vitamin D we have been lacking due to lack of sunlight. Enjoy outdoors – keep it simple - and staying active while having fun will promote better health.
Matt Espeut has worked as a personal trainer for almost 20 years with clients ranging in age from 14 to 86. His focus is on overall health, strength, and functional conditioning. Holistic health and nutrition is the cornerstone of all his programs. Matt works in private and small group training available at your home or office location or at gym facilities. Matt offers his services to everyone wanting to be more fit and healthy, overweight young people, youth/collegiate athletes, and seniors. Matt has worked and continues to train at several facilities in the Providence area including Gold's Gym and CORE Studio, and he believes continued education is a must in his field. Email Matt:[email protected], check out his website at www.fitnessprofiles.net or on Facebook at Matt Espeut or on Twitter @MattEspeut.
Related Slideshow: New England’s Healthiest States 2013
The United Health Foundation recently released its 2013 annual reoprt: America's Health Rankings, which provides a comparative state by state analysis of several health measures to provide a comprehensive perspective of our nation's health issues. See how the New England states rank in the slides below.
Definitions
All Outcomes Rank: Outcomes represent what has already occurred, either through death, disease or missed days due to illness. In America's Health Rankings, outcomes include prevalence of diabetes, number of poor mental or physical health days in last 30 days, health disparity, infant mortality rate, cardiovascular death rate, cancer death rate and premature death. Outcomes account for 25% of the final ranking.
Determinants Rank: Determinants represent those actions that can affect the future health of the population. For clarity, determinants are divided into four groups: Behaviors, Community and Environment, Public and Health Policies, and Clinical Care. These four groups of measures influence the health outcomes of the population in a state, and improving these inputs will improve outcomes over time. Most measures are actually a combination of activities in all four groups.
Diabetes Rank: Based on percent of adults who responded yes to the question "Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have diabetes?" Does not include pre-diabetes or diabetes during pregnancy.
Smoking Rank: Based on percentage of adults who are current smokers (self-report smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke).
Obesity Rank: Based on percentage of adults who are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher.
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- Fit for Life: 7 Step Plan For Achieving Your Weight Loss Goals
- Fit For Life: The Five Day Countdown to Fitness Starts Now
