Get Up And GO!

One of my lovely lady friends from the AAY! Nutrition Program, Leslie, took me on an amazing walk this morning. We wound through the hills and climbed some crazy stairs in Echo Park, and had a nice time just gabbing as we worked up a sweat. Working out with a partner is SO GREAT! We hoofed it for an hour and a half and the time really just flew by.

One topic of conversation while on our early morning power walk was the idea of exercising as a part of your life, as a WAY of life. I'm from Southern Illinois, and, while I don't like the make blanket statements, I can say from my 24 years of experience there that people tend to be a bit sedentary. I can remember when I first started really going to the gym, the FIRST time I was on a weight loss journey, oh, I must've been about 19. My friends mocked me! People would ask me what I was doing there all the time, people would think it was a lame excuse as to why I couldn't hang out that afternoon. Were they mean? No, not really, but let me tell you, it can be hard to keep doing something that NONE of your friends are, and that NONE of your friends think is cool. At this point, I could care less, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people I know, both here in Los Angeles and back in Carbondale, that NEVER go to the gym or go for a run or lift weights. Also--how are they not all 500 pounds?! Even before the program started I was working out upwards of five hours a week just to maintain my weight!

I've been trying to get my Mom to hop on the exercise train for a couple of years. Dad rides his bike sometimes, and she used to belong to a gym, but then it went under and she just never found another one. She is extremely busy, especially for being 60--wakes up at 3:45 in the morning and starts working from home, leaves for her job as a physical therapist at 7 and drives all over Illinois seeing patients, sometimes not to return home until past 7 that night. So I get the excuse of not having the time, but I so worry about her health. I thought maybe if I looked up some benefits of exercise, beyond the ones I already know and have experienced in my own life, I could share that knowledge with her and inspire her to join a new gym.

Here's a few perks of exercise you may or may not be aware of...
-Exercise helps diminish depression
-It increases growth factors in the brain, which are chemicals that help us learn
-Researchers of Alzheimer's have found exercise to be one of the best combatants of the disease
-Exercise can boost bone mass and keep muscles strong
-Can help prevent heart disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even boost your immune system
-Helps remove toxins from your body
-Assists with weight loss
-Exercising regularly helps reduce the amount of stress hormones in your body

It is an amazing feeling to accomplish a great workout--so go out and do it! If you need me, I'll be at the gym.