Move It!
CDC reports good news and bad

The good news is, infant mortality is down and life expectancy is up in the U.S., says the most recent CDC report.

The bad news is diabetes is up and obesity is way, way, WAY up.

So Americans can live longer, more miserable lives. Swell.

Diabetes is now the 5th leading cause of death in women and the 6th in men in the U.S. It's a bigger preventable killer than smoking-related illnesses, folks.

It can be prevented through exercise, a little regular exercise every day. And healthier eating of course, but exercise is key.

You understand we're talking diabetes here. Ulcerations and blindness and pain and organ failure slowly and painfully taking away your quality of life? Did I mention pain? Sorry to get graphic, but it's not an abstract notion. It's bad stuff. You don't want it.

Unfortunately, the report goes on to say, we just aren't moving. We continue to become more and more sedentary as adults. More and constant reports in the news these days reveal how sedentary our kids have become and report on the dramatic rise in Type II (traditionally called "adult-onset") Diabetes in children. (I know I've mentioned it before, but we're killing ourselves here, so it bears repeating, methinks.)

We have to get moving. We were made to move. Our bodies deplore inertia. They don't like to sit still, and they don't like to stand still. And that's hard for me to say as a world-class ass dweller myself.

So even if you're on your feet all day for work, but you don't really exercise, don't work up a bit of a sweat, get moving. Even if you think hard all day and arrive home exhausted from the stress and pressure, get moving. If you have kids at home especially, grab your kids and get moving. Do not write to tell me you don't have time. You do have time. Get moving.

It's Monday. A day to begin. A new week. If you haven't already, start this week. Start small. Get an okay from your Dr. first, and then add a little exercise to this week:

*A 5-minute walk around your house or your block each evening. Every week add one more minute.
*Get a dog. Walk the dog every day.
*Take the kids swimming a few times each week.
*Pick up a lunch-time sport.
*Try a morning TV exercise class.
*Get video tapes like Leslie Sansone's "Walk Away The Pounds" series, and use them before work, or as soon as you get home, before dinner.
*Take the kids out for bike rides.
*Do calisthenics while watching TV. And lift small hand weights. Include your kids.
*Put a treadmill or exercise bike in front of the TV.
*Spend the first 5 minutes of every coffee break and lunch break at work climbing flights of stairs.
*Park your car at the far end of the lot or several blocks away and walk to work.

If you already have added regular exercise to your life, but you know of a friend who's struggling to find a way? Help her. Exercise with him.

Me? I looked back over my log for the week and see that I missed my own exercise goal. Rats. I have to work out harder this week to pay off my exercise debt. Rats and triple rats. I'll work it out though. One more class. One more morning walk. A lunch hour walk in the city.

If you're not logging your exercise yet, but are thinking about thinking about it, the folks who offer my favorite online calorie counter, at www.calorieking.com, are now offering a desktop diet and exercise tracker. Pretty cheap, with a free demo. Give it a shot.

Exercise recommendations for adults vary, but they average out at 200 - 500 minutes per week. It doesn't have to be strenuous exercise, but enough to work up a little sweat. That's as easy as a half hour to an hour a day, or bigger chunks on fewer days, if you like. Work your way up to this amount of time slowly, but once you've got the habit, you'll want to keep it, because you'll notice the difference. Your whole body will work better, regardless of your size.

Live longer, but live well.

Move!

JuJu

PBS on the CDC report
CalorieKing Desktop Diet Diary

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