America's Growing Crop of "Couch Potatoes"
By David A. Johnson MD, Medical Director, Signature Care
Monday, May 1st, 2006; Posted: 11:30 a.m.
Fitness or Fatness
If you had to simplify all of the health problems in our society into a few general statements, the following would cover most of our health woes:
- We don’t exercise/aren’t physically active
- We have terrible eating habits
- We make unhealthy lifestyle choices
May is designated as National Physical Fitness & Sports Month so this is an ideal time to look at exercise as it relates to our health. Our destructive eating habits and poor lifestyle choices (smoking, drinking, etc) also affect our health but given the space available for this article, let's focus on activity and exercise.
To no one's surprise, our society is inactive and out of shape. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a tool used to assess weight/height ratio. (Click on the "Healthy Weight" link under Healthy Living on this website to calculate your BMI.) A BMI of 25-30 (roughly 15-40 pounds over ideal weight) is considered overweight. A BMI of over 30 (approximately 40-100 pounds over ideal weight) is obese. Recent studies show 64.5% of American adults are overweight and 30.5% are obese. The percentage of Americans who are severely obese (approximately 100 pounds or more over ideal weight) has risen to 4.7%. That's almost 1 in every 20 Americans!
Physical activity is a key component to combat this epidemic weight problem. Diet without exercise is usually futile, as is exercise without diet. But what is considered adequate exercise? Recent recommendations for those trying to lose weight or to avoid an unhealthy weight gain is to engage in 60 minutes of moderate-to-intense activity on most days of the week. This sounds overwhelming and unrealistic to many people. Keep in mind, however, that you can break this time into 2-4 segments during the day. An exercise program should include cardiovascular activity such as walking, running, or any activity that sustains an elevated heart rate. It should also include exercises to strengthen muscles such as weight training or isometrics. Stretching should always be a part of an exercise regimen.
Additional helpful tips are as follows:
- If you're currently in "couch potato" mode, don't just jump into a solid hour of intense exercise immediately. Work up to this goal over time.
- You don't need to join a health spa to begin an activity program. Walking, stretching, and basic muscle training can be done at home or even at work.
- Find a partner. Studies show that people are more likely to continue an exercise program if they have someone to exercise with.
- Take advantage of community programs such as 10,000 steps or Fort Wayne Walks One Million Miles.
- When starting your new healthy activities, don't forget to couple exercise with a healthy diet to optimize your weight. Exercise will not erase unhealthy eating habits.
Maintaining good health is not a single action, it is a way of life. Establishing a lifestyle of physical activity is an excellent way to take charge of your health. Let May's National Fitness & Sports Month be a starting point for you to make positive changes that will reap a lifetime of benefits.