Health Education: physical activity and health

<span style="font-size: large;">    The first page of the search results below will link you to 4 previous posts that address the importance of moving your body (being active) throughout every day.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">   I am very passionate about this health behavior.  The upshot is that sitting for more than one hour at a time, no matter how active you are otherwise, no matter what you weigh, is linked to higher rates of several diseases (e.g. heart disease, diabetes), disease risk factors (e.g. abnormal blood sugars, high blood pressure) and all causes of death (all cause mortality).  The amount of increased risk is different based on your general health, weight and exercise level but extended periods of sitting are bad for everyone. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">    Remember when I taught my first college under grad course last fall?  On the first day of class (they were 3 hour classes) I explained this sitting/disease risk to the students.  Then I made sure that we always took two stand up and move breaks every class - even when we had guest speakers. {traditionally three hour classes contain one 15 minute break}  If the only thing my students took away from class was the need to limit sitting time - I have done them a very big favor.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">   That brings me to Weight Watchers.  The program is also doing <i>their</i> customers a very big favor.  My sister, who is a successful loser/maintainer (almost 5 years now) attends Weight Watchers - more to support others than herself, I think.  Today she told me that her meeting leader gave a great, graphical presentation on this very topic.  And as is true, the leader emphasized that the "not sitting" is important for HEALTH above and beyond anything it might do for calorie burn or weight.  To be clear, sitting doesn't make you fat.  Eating more food than your body needs is the cause of weight gain.  Sitting DOES make you unhealthy if you do a lot of it.  We are learning that a lot doesn't mean the number of hours you sit in a day, but the number of minutes you go without standing.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">  Search Results on Sitting from this blog, with research links.  <a href="http://yourhealtheducator.blogspot.com/#uds-search-results" target="_blank">HERE</a></span><br /><br />

Why I Keep Loving Weight Watchers

The first page of the search results below will link you to 4 previous posts that address the importance of moving your body (being acti...

<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">On one of my running routes, actually two of them – I pass by preschool play grounds. I see the children outside by the swing sets sometimes, but on one of the routes, I run (on the sidewalk) right by the fence where the children are playing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I always smile and wave if they are looking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I have to show them the grown up having fun exercising </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Garamond; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Garamond; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Last week, I ran by that particular pre school, and the kids were out again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It had been a couple of weeks since I had seen them – the weather I suppose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The children – boys and girls – are most certainly age 3 and 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>This last time, I saw one or two digging, a couple running and a whole group of them walking down hill backwards, falling, rolling, laughing. It was divine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Today, I did some studying outside on campus, because it was warm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I am quite lucky to have 1) an office (cubby) space at all and 2) to have this space on the floor that ‘houses’ the athletic team training and rehab rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I am always walking by runners, softball and base ball players, students who play volleyball, basketball, and soccer, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>While I was outside today, the women’s softball team was practicing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I saw some good catches, throws and dives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>A group of male runners congregated near the building entrance, and a trainer worked with a few women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>One of them was on a stationary bike – outside (how cool).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>But the best thing I saw – a young woman who was small framed (so I would guess her a runner), had a cinch around her waist – like a horse might be tethered to an aerator or plow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The strap around her waist went down her right and left side, again, think of a horse being hitched to a hand plow. She was attached to a round piece of steel, iron or something – which really could have been some kind of grounds keeping tool – but on closer inspection, it seemed to have a free weight<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>- or weight plates on it. The heavy round disc (oh let’s see, hold your arms in front of you with your fingertips touching, palms facing you – it was at least twice that round and a few inches in diameter) was flat on the ground. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She turned around and was pulling that thing across the field and back. The disc did not leave the ground – she drug it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Mostly I expect she was working her legs – quads probably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But anyway – YAY for spring and physical activity and our youth – 3 or 4 or 24 </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Garamond; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Garamond; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As NC Says – Eat Smart and Move More</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

Toddlers to Twenty Somethings

On one of my running routes, actually two of them – I pass by preschool play grounds. I see the children outside by the swing sets sometim...

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Why I Keep Loving Weight Watchers

Toddlers to Twenty Somethings

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