Page 46 - DEC 2018 proof The Castle Pines Connection

46 CastlePinesConnection.com
FEEL YOUR BEST
Get up and
move; sitting is
the new smoking
By Daniel Williams
Americans don’t move enough. That’s the theme of a recent study published in JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd, “approximately 80 percent of U.S. adults and adolescents are insu ciently active.”
And that inactivity comes with a cost.
The study revealed that, “an estimated $117 billion in annual healthcare costs and about 10 percent of premature deaths are associated with inadequate physical activity.”
The guidelines
Ironically, the new guidelines actually sound a lot like the old guidelines that were released ten years ago.
The report recommends an hour of “moderate-to-vigorous” activity each day
for children 6 to 17. Activities mentioned include: “climbing on playground equipment or playing basketball.”
For adults, “moderate-to-vigorous activity can include brisk walking, running or anything that makes the heart beat faster.”
The guidelines recommend adults get their heart rate up at least 2-3 hours each week or roughly 20 minutes of activity a day.
“When we move more, we have better cardiovascular health, we are stronger and less susceptible to disease, and we feel better,” said Dr. Brett P. Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services. “Physical activity can help manage chronic conditions that many Americans already have.”
What’s new?
Chronic conditions were of speci c emphasis in this edition of the study, with the updated guidelines claiming exercise can “reduce symptoms of anxiety, slow the progression of hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, and help prevent eight types of cancer in adults.”
The results also found that “exercise can improve cognition in those with attention- de cit hyper-activity disorder or dementia.”
Just do it
While the new edition also agrees that people should do something exercise-related (as did the rst edition), it’s not as hung up on “exercising in ten-minute blocks.”
The bigger key, according to Giroir, is
to stand more and sit less. Basically, to
be more active. “The new guidelines demonstrate that, based on the best science, everyone can dramatically improve their health just by moving – anytime, anywhere and by any means that gets you active.”
Castle Rock resident and Zumba instructor Van Oberly knows the importance of creating fun celebrations in the classes she teaches.
Douglas County resident and Jazzercise instructor Cathi Gosselin o ers attendance contests and prizes to students during the holidays.
Can festivities and fitness coexist during the holidays?
Article and photos by Barbara Ne
Rumor has it that the average American gains ten pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Can this be true? According to multiple online sources, including nutrition magazine Real Simple and The New York Times the answer is yes.
Why do we get heavier during the holiday season? The obvious answers are eating too much and choosing the wrong foods. However, falling away from our regular routines is also a major contributor.
During the distractions of the season, beginning with family gatherings in November and stretching through December’s parties and events, it is all
too easy to stop going to the gym. We tend to skip workouts during the holiday season, even though our Colorado weather does allow for outdoor activities virtually year-round. Without renewed focus and commitment, sticking to an exercise program can be seemingly impossible.
To help avoid falling away from regular exercise during the holiday frenzy, several forms of support are available. As with any exercise routine, the buddy system is highly e ective. Seeking a fellow tness enthusiast at the start of the holiday season and planning mutual support is helpful.
Gyms and other tness-oriented businesses also recognize the loss of participants during the holiday season, and frequently o er special incentives or celebrations to keep people moving.
Local Zumba instructor, Van Oberly, a resident of Douglas County for four years, creates all sorts of special celebrations for her Zumba students to keep them looking forward to the next class.
When asked about the importance of keeping tness commitments during holiday festivities, Oberly replied, “For me it’s about accountability. Let’s remember that we spend time at the dinner table celebrating these holidays with people we
love, but we also establish relationships with our t family who rely on seeing us on a regular basis. Sticking to our tness routines is as much for them as it is for us.”
Jazzercise instructor Cathi Gosselin has
18 years of teaching experience and is also highly skilled at motivating her students. Jazzercise keeps students in the class routines during the holidays by o ering fun attendance contests and prizes.
Gosselin has been a resident of Douglas County for 20 years. When asked why Jazzercise creates special attendance buzz during the holidays, she replied, “We at Jazzercise help our students head into the New Year healthy by o ering attendance contests. Routines can easily slide during the holidays. We help keep our students engaged to reduce attrition and to help them stay t during the holidays without missing a beat.”
The Turkey Rock Trot, Douglas County’s local Thanksgiving Day race, is the perfect example of community e ort to keep tness part of the holiday festivities. This 5K run has become a Douglas County tradition
for 14 years. Such events do wonders for pairing tness with holiday festivities.
Rather than lose sight of tness goals during the holidays and fall victim to the tide of food and merriment, a pre-holiday reminder to one’s self and a quick look around for fun tness opportunities might be all that is required to avoid the weight gain, and all the regret that accompanies it, this holiday season.
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