Time for Exercise

If you listen at all to the news, you regularly hear about all the fitness problems in the United States. According to HealtheirUS.gov, fitness problems such as obesity in adults have increased by more than 60% over 10 years (1990-2000). The diagnosis of diabetes in adults has increased by 49%. It’s a serious problem.

Worse yet, children are less fit now. Type 2 diabetes, once almost strictly an adult disease, is showing up in children, accounting for about half the diagnoses of juvenile diabetes. About 15% of children are now obese.

This is very bad news. However, you can help yourself and your family become healthier if you just make it a habit. Stop buying sodas except as occasional treats. Cut out the chips and the fried foods. Eat fast food less often. And don’t forget to get everyone away from the television and computer every day to play or exercise.

For children, just regular running and playing outside with friends is likely to be plenty of exercise. You know how much children love to play outside. If yours are used to vegging out in front of the television or computer you might get a battle at first, but you need to insist upon lots of playtime. The children will start having fun soon enough if you do.

You can join the kids if you like and think you can keep up. As a mother of two, I can tell you that it gets very difficult to keep up sometimes. Young children have energy many parents can only envy.

If you don’t have kids or want to exercise on your own, just make the commitment to do so and keep up with it! Talk to your doctor about what he recommends, figure out your fitness plan and keep to it. No, it will not always be easy, but look on failure as momentary rather than permanent. You only fail if you quit, not if you miss a day or even a month.

There’s only so much each individual can do to help with the obesity epidemic. You can encourage family and friends to join you in your efforts to be more fit, but the most important thing you can do is get fit yourself. If you’re successful people will be more interested in your advice.