Yeah. And let’s sweat. You don’t have to dress up and go to the gym for aerobics class. You can do this right at home. In fact, home is probably the only place you’d consider doing this.
Think I’m kidding? Consider this:
“Like muscle, bone is living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger… The best exercise for your bones is the weight-bearing kind, which forces you to work against gravity. Some examples of weight-bearing exercises include weight training, walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, tennis, and dancing.” (National Institutes of Health, January 2009)
“ … exercise has a benefit of reducing risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, beyond that produced by weight reduction alone.” (from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of NIH) Their Guide to Physical Activity lists many examples of “moderate physical activity”, including dancing.
Talk about Raising Your Standard of Living + Lowering Your Cost of Living. This is free; it makes you feel good right away; and, happier and healthier for a long time after.
So if you have trouble getting motivated to exercise, here’s my suggestion: put on some music that you can’t not dance to. And just to be clear – we’re not talking Fox Trot here. This is going to be aerobic: you’re going to get your heart rate up and you’re going to sweat. Dress or undress appropriately. For 45 minutes and minus 275 calories (that’s a big scoop of ice cream), try something like this:
Hot Fun in the Summertime, Sly & Family Stone i A
Twist and Shout, The Beatles A
Let’s Dance, David Bowie i A
Sir Duke (Feel It All Over), Stevie Wonder i A
Little Red Corvette, Prince i A
Fun, Fun, Fun, Beach Boys i A
Think, Aretha Franklin i A
Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Rolling Stones i A
Reach Out, Four Tops i A
The Way You Do The Things You Do, Temptations i A
Baby Love, The Supremes i A
One Love, Bob Marley i A
Tide Is High, Blondie i A
Groovin’, The Young Rascals i A
This does it for me, but anything that gets ya movin’ is your answer. If you’re someone who cuts a mean tango, send me your playlist. (Just curious.)
Every Thing Is Everything
Every vital organ benefits from exercise. In The Roadmap to 100: The Breakthrough Science of Living a Long and Healthy Life, Dr. Walter Bortz describes the paticipants in a 4-hour per week exercise program: “The MRI results were stunning. In parts of each subject’s brain, the blood volume [and its oxygen] had nearly doubled after a mere 12 weeks on the exercise regimen … Mental performance in the human body can be improved by “feeding” the brain extra oxygen … A decrease in the oxygen supply to the brain creates conditions like tiredness, depression, irritability, poor judgment and a variety of health problems. Increasing the oxygen supply to the brain and nervous system can remedy these conditions.” Happy feet!
“Although previous studies have found enhanced mood for up to an hour after exercise, this study found benefits for up to 12 hours following activity, compared to the resting group…Test subjects performed exercise at 60 percent of aerobic capacity, indicating that moderate-intensity exercise – like walking or light cycling – is enough to boost mood.”
(“Boost Your Mood at Least Half the Day with Physical Activity”, American College of Sports Medicine, 2009)
“People with high levels of physical fitness, called cardiorespiratory fitness, have a lower risk of dying from all causes of death, including coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease, than people with low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness.” (Journal of the American Medical Association, May 2009)