Getting Fit: No More Excusesby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 07 Nov 2008 06:22 PM With the holidays fast approaching many people find themselves sucked into the shopping vortex. To-do lists are growing and finding time to get everything done is challenging to say the least. The months of November and December are also the time of year when many people slack on their fitness routines because they simply can't find the time to get in a workout. Personally, I feel the opposite should be true. This is the time of year when you should try even harder to maintain your exercise regimen. After all, most of us tend to eat more during the holiday season and with winter weather conditions making it difficult to get outdoors and participate in leisure calorie-burning activities, it is critical to make those gym dates. I am a runner so whenever anyone asks me for ways to burn calories I suggest hitting the road or the treadmill. However, my suggestion is often met with a litany of reasons why running is not a good exercise option. Recently, I was given this doozy of a reason as to why people shouldn't run: "Running will give you a heart attack." If you have been using this as an excuse for not lacing up your shoes and hitting the trails know this: The heart attack excuse is a myth. While it is true that exercise temporarily raises the odds (minimally) of a heart attack at the peak of your workout, studies show consistent exercise reduces the risk of heart problems in the long run. There is no scientific evidence that proves running causes long-term harm or actually leads to heart attacks. Bottom line: Moderate running a few days a week will do far more good for your heart than bad. Another excuse I hear a lot from non-runners is that running will ruin their knees (or other joints). According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, there is no evidence that running leads to osteoarthritis. In fact, fitness experts now say weight-bearing exercise like running actually helps stave off osteoporosis by maintaining bone mineral density. Related Articles: Should You Run a Marathon While Pregnant? Creating a Challenging Workout Routine Exercising on the Road: No Excuses Why You Want to Build Muscle as You Age Creating a Fitness Routine that Works for You Taking Advantage of Fall's Cool Weather Ways to Integrate Exercise into Your Life Back-to-School = Back to Regular Workouts Getting Fit Before the First Flake Falls Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantfitness tags family | ideas | Kids | parenting | pregnancy | holidays | weight loss | children | Food | relationships User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags exercise, fitness, running, run Discuss this article
|
Fitness categories
More fitness tagsfamily | ideas | Kids | parenting | pregnancy | holidays | weight loss | children | Food | relationships |
