Go for Life month
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EmailGo for Life month is designed to help you fit exercise and physical activity into your daily life.
September is Go for Life month. Go for Life is an exercise and physical activity campaign from the National Institute on Aging at NIH. Go for Life is designed to help you fit exercise and physical activity into your daily life.
We all know we should be active: Being active helps control chronic disease such diabetes and heart disease. Exercise will actually reduce chronic pain due to arthritis and stress.
Unfortunately most adults make up excuses why they can’t exercise so overcome those barriers by:
- Finding time to exercise: thirty minutes to one hour a day is highly recommended to keep us in good physical and mental health. You do not have to do the time all at once. Break your exercise routine up in 10 minute intervals. (In a one hour TV show there is 20 minutes of exercise, so get up and move during each advertisement!)
- Sticking with your exercise plan: do this you enjoy such as a brisk walk, gardening cleaning bike riding. If you can stick to exercising for six months, you are on your way to a healthier life!
- Exercise without spending money: you don’t need fancy clothing or expensive equipment. A pair of shoes that fit your feet well and a water is all you need to get started. Being a senior has its advantages: check with your local senior center to find out free programs in the area.
- Increasing your energy: Exercise will reduce fatigue and stress by giving you more energy to enjoy doing the activities you love more easily, faster and for longer period of time.
Most of us need a friend to encourage us to be successful and meet our goals. In exercise, it is the same idea. Be that cheerleader and encourage your friend
- Applaud first steps and continue to reinforce healthy decisions such to exercise
- Go along for a walk with your friend
- Challenge your friend to steps walked, or a physical game such as ping pong
- If there are interruptions in your friends exercise program help them get back on track
- Don’t be judgmental. Negative comments will end the motivation to exercising.
September is exercise month. Let’s commit to our exercise program and helping a friend with theirs. We will have two healthier people that have more energy and feeling great about themselves! For more tips on exercising and staying fit visit Michigan State University Extension.
