Fitting in fitness for busy people

Today I led a small group of medical students on inpatient rounds. We had a patient on the seventh floor of the hospital. As I always do, I headed for the stairs, but told the students they could take the elevators if they wanted. (I promised them that they wouldn’t lose any points on their academic performance!) And as they usually do, they decided to join me in the stairwell. Yes, we huffed and puffed a bit, but we still chatted, discussing fitness the whole time. I take the stairs for many reasons, not the least of which is a frightening malfunctioning elevator experience from several years ago (a long story involving a team of maintenance personnel and a crowbar). But a bigger factor is my own vigorous, unapologetic self-care regimen. I know I need regular exercise to maintain my mood and my health, so I fit it in wherever I can. If I have a patient on the seventh floor — or even the 22nd floor — I look at it as a terrific opportunity for a mini-workout in the middle of my workday. We know it’s good for us, so why don’t we do it more? The proven benefits of exercise are endless. Most people already know that mountains of research show that regular physical activity improves every aspect of our health: it decreases cardiovascular risk, manages stress, improves mood, delays dementia, eases chronic pain, and on and on. Some people are committed to fitness and get more than enough exercise. But, most are not. One of the biggest barriers to regular physical activity ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Exercise and Fitness Health Source Type: blogs