Want to perform at a higher level? Work faster, smarter and with lower stress? Reduce lost time due to illness? Be happier and more positive? Start a regular exercise program. It costs little and delivers substantial benefits.
Studies show that just 20 minutes a day of walking is enough to see real gains. Forty minutes, four days per week of aerobic activity will deliver substantial results. A little resistance training – you’ll be unstoppable!
However, Dr. Ron Goor suggests you exercise every day. “If you exercise every day, you are never at risk of putting it off until tomorrow. The best, easiest and safest exercise is plain old walking.”
Lower Levels of Anxiety and Depression: Exercise lowers stress. Owning and running a company is stressful. Constant stress lowers mental performance and wears down the physical body. It makes you more prone to illness and can lead to serious health problems, like heart disease.
Lose Weight: Exercise is the healthy way to reduce body fat, and high body fat is the number one cause of health problems. Jane BrodyÕs nutrition book cites studies showing that as little as five percent excess body fat reduces life expectancy, and a 50 year old who is fifty pounds over weight has half the remaining life expectancy of her slender peer. Exercise also lowers blood pressure, reduces risk of heart disease, helps protect against osteoporosis, reduces risk of cancer, and more.
Sharper Decision-Making Ability: A 2005 study published in the Journal of Exercise Physiology found in students a high level of correlation between test scores and overall levels of fitness. Similarly, a 2003 article in the journal Acta Psychologica concluded that “… aerobic exercise can facilitate cognitive functioning.”
Positive Example For Employees and Family Members: Want your kids to develop healthy habits? You are their role model. Want your employees to be more productive and miss less work? You are their role model. Consider building a healthy work culture. Discourage “junk food” in the workplace. Stock healthy snacks instead, as an employee benefit. Offer free health screenings annually. Give incentives for healthy activities, like finishing a local 5K race.
Think and Feel Younger: “Aerobic exercise yielded a 20 percent improvement in (mental) performance” of senior citizens, in a study published in a 2004 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study last September that found, among the more than 18,000 older women studied, “long-term regular physical activity, including walking, is associated with significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline in older women.”
Sleep Better: Poor or inadequate sleep reduces mental and physical performance. Exercise is proven to improve the quality of sleep, including the amount of time that it takes to fall asleep and the ability to remain asleep. Are you taking drugs to help you fall asleep? Exercise is the best sleeping pill known to man, and it’s free (and no undesirable side effects!).
Dr. Ron Goor and Nancy Goor, authors of best-selling nutrition and health books, say, “Please yell the following line as loud as you can: EXERCISE IS ESSENTIAL!”
You gotta do it.
However, Dr. David Brennan, exercise physiologist, cautions us to start slow as we begin our transition to a “fit” lifestyle. Let’s face it, most of us are overweight, and the extra pounds cause added stress on our joints when we exercise. Low impact exercises is where we should start … or even stay … such as water based exercise, cycling or walking. Doing so will reduce the chance of injury. Finally, for burning calories and stimulating “happy hormones” (endorphins), full body activities performed with rhythmic contractions for extended periods of time are the most effective.
Height & Weight Table For Medium Frame
Height Women Men
5′ 2″ 118-132 131-141
5′ 3″ 121-135 133-143
5′ 4″ 124-138 135-145
5′ 5″ 127-141 137-148
5′ 6″ 130-144 139-151
5′ 7″ 133-147 142-154
5′ 8″ 136-150 145-157
5′ 9″ 139-153 148-160
5′ 10″ 142-156 151-163
5′ 11″ 145-159 154-166
6′ 0″ 148-162 157-170
6′ 1″ N/A 160-174
6′ 2″ N/A 164-178
6′ 3″ N/A 167-182
6′ 4″ N/A 171-187
Source: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
This article originally appeared in The Business Owner Journal, the periodical of choice for owners of small and midsize private businesses. All rights reserved, D.L. Perkins LLC. © 2012.
This publication is intended to provide general information on the subject matters covered. It is sold and distributed with the understanding that neither the publisher nor any distributor or advertiser is engaged in providing legal, tax, insurance, investment or other professional advice. The advice of a qualified professional should be sought before any reader applies a concept presented herein to his or her particular situation or business.
D.L. Perkins, LLC is solely responsible for this content.
