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Taking
a Step in the Right Direction
Article
by Lori A. Geli Many women have careers that keep them away from home most of the day, others are at home with small children, and still others are retired and have may have already raised their children. At the end of a long day, our first thought isn’t always to hop in the car and go to the gym to exercise. Sometimes we find ourselves so tired and overwhelmed that just the thought of actually going to a gym makes us tired. For those women who are at home during the day it may be easier to occupy their time with household chores, errands to run or take care of the wants of others instead of heading out to a gym. For the busy modern woman who wants to be fit and healthy this is a classic dilemma. But whether it’s at the end of a frustrating and tiring day where you have put everyone else’s needs before yours, or in the beginning of the day when your schedule is full, it is best to put a little time personal time aside for a workout. Although your mind is telling you otherwise, you need to remember what is really best for you emotionally and physically, and how much you can gain from giving yourself just a few hours of extra attention each week. Fact is there are so many
benefits of exercise that we cannot just ignore them.
Exercise of course will help us to lose those few extra pounds we may
have put on during the long winter. It
can also improve your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to your working
muscles. Exercise helps to lower
your heart rate, your blood pressure, and to reduce cholesterol.
Exercise also aids in reduction of circulation levels of triglycerides
(the amount of free fatty acid found in the blood).
It also helps to prevent against type 2 diabetes (adult onset diabetes). Exercise also can reduce the risk of having a stroke. There are benefits of exercise
that affect the aging process and functional capacity also:
Regular physical exercise also
helps with mental health and well-being since it reduces anxiety, helps you
manage stress more effectively, improves your self confidence, helps alleviate
depression, improves your appearance, helps you to relax, and helps with
improving your immune system. Plenty
of good reasons to take care yourself no matter what your age! Knowing all this information on
the advantages of exercise makes it easier for some women to choose a trip to
the gym instead of putting their feet up on the couch at the end of the day.
As women, we need to remember that if we don’t take the time to care
for ourselves, it is much more difficult to perform our tasks at work and to
care for someone else. Exercise may not be at the top of the list for some, but
it should be. To make it easier to
do so, most gyms, Spa Lady included, provide guidance to their clients on how to
use their equipment, and customized personal training programs are available. For those women with small
children, many facilities (including Spa Lady) now offer child care.
This will give you and your children an opportunity to enjoy that time
apart. You can improve your own
life with exercise while your children enjoy the social interaction provided in
a child care setting. What better
way is there for both you and your children to start a brand new day? Below are some testimonies from
women who have found the time and motivation to exercise, as well as how
exercise has been a positive force in their lives: “I make sure to get up a bit
earlier so I have the time for exercise every morning.
I do this because I know the benefits of exercise.
I also have osteoporosis and I know exercise is beneficial for my general
health, weight control as well as my osteoporosis.
After you exercise for a while it becomes a routine and you make it part
of your day by setting time aside… now that I am older, I’m grateful for the
discipline I’ve had through the years. Exercise
has been a great help dealing with menopause and my osteoporosis.” -
Mary Ann Galati, Reservationist, age 59 “Exercise is something that I
can do for myself at my own pace, without any pressure.
I find it relieves stress after working full time and raising three
children on my own. It gives me a
sense of accomplishment since most of my time is spent working as teacher and
also being a mother. I also enjoy
the socialization with other adults at the gym.
Due to my profession … I have limited interaction with other adults.
So I find going to the gym a very fulfilling experience.
I find the time by disciplining myself and realizing you need to
sometimes put yourself first so that you can be a better person for everyone
else.” -
Cindy Cowan, Speech Therapist, age 39
A woman need not spend hours in
a gym to benefit from a workout. For
a beginner, thirty minutes three times a week is all it takes. You can continue to develop your workout routine at your own
pace and you WILL reap the rewards! If
you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will.
So take that first step in improving your health and lifestyle and you
will look back and wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.† Sources used in
this article: Discover Fitness,
WebMd, interviews |
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Updated on: 05/31/08 Site maintained by: Core Logic Consulting LLC
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