How to Stay Healthy in Today’s Economy
In 1978 the, “Help Wanted” section of the Sun Sentinel Newspaper had more want ad pages, than the entire newspaper has pages today.
As I casually drive up and down Federal Highway, from Oakland Park Blvd. to Hillsboro Blvd. I see so many vacant stores on both sides of the street, one after the other. I assume this is the way it is in the entire continental United States.
The, “Going Out of Business” signs grab and compete for your attention.
The specials dangling from the store fronts are hawking anything from “two-for-one” specials to buy one get one free, or anything else the owners can think of to attract you attention and haggle for your patronage.
The airlines and hotels don’t know what else to do to attract your attention and get your business. “Stay two nights get two nights free“, “enjoy our buffet free when you stay for two nights“. “Come to our hotel, and we will pay half of your airfare“. This is the time to buy, fly, vacation go on trips, and yeah get that huge flat screen TV you always wanted. It just won’t get any cheaper than this.
I made reservations for dinner for a Saturday night at 8:30 pm at one of my favorite restaurants only to find, much to my surprise and delight no one was waiting outside and believe it or not no one was waiting inside to be seated either.
Tables were plentiful and the service was fantastic, due to the fact that the waiters had very few customers to wait on.
The stock market goes up and it does down, but in the last couple of weeks it has averaged out to be about the same, all of us who took a bath, are still waiting for some return on our investments. We don’t even want to look any more, it is just too painful.
The President’s stimulus plan, as aggressive as it might have been, just does not seem to have helped the average person, feel better, get a job, keep a job, see a small profit in downward investments, ease unemployment, “especially if you lost your job” secure your mortgage, or even let you purchase a house if you are in the market for one.
I know exactly how you think about spending money, because I am in the same place you are and I make the same decisions about how I spend my money as you do.
BUT, a recent issue of Time” magazine with its headline, “The Health Issue” and dated June 22, 2009, arrived in my mail box. Of course being in the health industry, I started to read the various articles offered. On page 85 I found an article called, “A User’s Guide to Good Health at Every Age” this caught my attention. I would like to share with you the contents of the article as it pertains to Physical Fitness.
Before I start quoting from the article, the introduction states, “The road to wellness begins in childhood and twists and turns over time. We asked five experts in prevention to give their best advice for staying healthy throughout life. (I have not re written the entire article, but I have condensed it to give you their opinion on exercise and ageing. Included in this article was a section on diet for each age group. (I have not included the advice on diet in this small article.)
Childhood from age 0 to 12
For children ages 6 and older and adolescents, the US Dept of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends at least one hour of physical activity every day, including vigorous exercise at least three times per week Kids should get a mix of aerobic and muscle building and bone strengthening.
Adolescence 13 to 18
Minimum recommended one hour of physical activity per day.
Young Adulthood 19-35
No time to work out? They don’t buy that excuse. Exercise shouldn’t be something that we’re making time for, it should be a daily given, like sleeping or eating. If you want a lifetime of robust heath, you have to be religious about your physical activities. As per HHS you need 2 ½ to 5 hours cardio activity each week. Plus weight training at least two times a week.
Middle Adulthood 36-59
A daily routine of physical activity gets more and more important as you age, not only to prevent weight gain and chronic illness but also to keep the brain sharp. In addition to cardiovascular exercise and strength training, doctors advise working on balance and flexibility.
Seniors 60+
Exercise, exercise, exercise, it’s the only wonder drug we have. Adults who are physically active not only have a lower risk of disease, depression and chronic pain from conditions like arthritis and back pain. The HHS exercise recommendations for older adults are identical to those for younger ones.
So what does all this mean to you?
I think each and every one of us who receives an income for what we do, has to decide the best way to budget and spend the hard earned money we earn. College fund for our children, the rent or mortgage, food, car payments, utilities, medical insurance, home insurance and he list goes on. We all have the same or similar expenses. We all try and find a few dollars for recreation and enjoyment, like dinner out, a small vacation.
BUT, the most cherished blessing we have is our health. Without our health everything else in life fades into the realm of, just not important. Our health allows us to enjoy our children’s graduation ceremony from college. The dinner out, the small mini vacation, or the family road trip together. Our health also insures that we are able to perform the way we have to at our employment, or our income comes to a very fast halt.
The single most important thing you can do to insure your future is to preserve your health. The ABSOLUE, INDISPUTABLE, ABUNDANCE OF CREDIBLE EVIDENCE IS: IN ORDER TO GROW OLDER AND BE HEALTHY YOU MUST EXERCISE, BOTH CARDIOVASCULAR AND WEIGHT TRAINING, WHILE MAINTAINING A DIET THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU.
The only question left is, “How do I exercise and diet, to gain the maximum results in the minimum amount of time?”
The only answer is “Get professional help from a qualified Personal Trainer.”
Whatever the cost, it is NOT a luxury…. It is a necessity.