Welcome to Week 4 of the ten-week New Year Health Challenge, courtesy of Christine Kling of Body Basics LLC in Boise ID.
Our bodies were created to move. All of our sitting today is causing our bodies to react negatively. Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns, including obesity and metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels). Risks for cancer and cardiovascular diseases also increase with sitting for hours and hours at a time.
Work it out
Many of you have desk jobs, so it’s important to help stay active on the job. As you stand or actively move, you burn calories, reorient your skeletal system and stretch your muscles. Just those few minutes away from your desk will also leave you refreshed, helping your brain to focus better on the task at hand. Here are a few ideas to get started:
- Stand while talking on the phone or eating lunch.
- Try a standing desk or improvise with a high table or counter.
- Use an exercise ball, which engages core muscles, helps improve balance and flexibility as you sit.
- Schedule walking meetings with colleagues rather than gathering in a conference room.
- Buy a treadmill desk (ok, they’re a little expensive but might be worth the investment).
- Set your alarm every hour to take a stroll, do squats or pushups or stretch
- Make your leisure time as active as possible and reduce amount of time sitting in front of TV.
How much is enough?
The CDC recommends adults getting 150 minutes total exercise throughout the week (30 minutes, 5 days a week) and 2 or more days of strength training that works all major muscle groups. Integrating strength workouts is important because the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Muscles consume calories around the clock, even when you’re resting and sleeping. Resistance training can also combat your bones deteriorating (osteoporosis).
When you’re thinking “cardio,” think interval training. Thirty minutes of interval training on your treadmill versus thirty minutes walking on your treadmill produces genetic changes! These DNA molecular changes within the muscles increase the production of fat-busting proteins. Besides lowered body fat, other benefits are improved muscle tone, firmer skin, higher energy levels, improved athletic performance and boosted sex drive.
Challenge Guidelines
IF YOU EXERCISE FOR AT LEAST 30 MIN EACH DAY, YOU GET TO KEEP THE 1 POINT. Make sure to do Strength Training at least two of those days!
You also get points each day if you drink enough water, sleep enough and cut out the sugar.
Total amount of points possible at end of week (not including BONUS) is 28.
Click here for Challenge Log.
About Christine:
Christine Kling is co-owner of Body Basics and privileged to share the business with her husband, James. Her passion for health and fitness began as a teen playing sports (basketball and tennis) and dancing, which led her to become a personal trainer and group exercise instructor at the age of 17. Struggling with a thyroid disorder and adrenal fatigue from Hashimoto’s auto-immune disorder also increased her love for helping people in the area of nutrition. She has experienced first-hand how diet and exercise can beat the odds! Youth Fitness, Pre-natal/Post-natal Fitness, Senior Fitness, Mat Sciences, and Indoor Cycling have been her areas of continued study and experience. A favorite quote of hers is “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you!”
