Baby Steps Can Take You Places

This is an article of mine that was recently published in a local Maryland newspaper. Hooray for me! It is directed more toward the typical couch potato, but I thought that you guys could be remotivated by reading it. Enjoy.

Whether you’re interested in preventing future health conditions or you simply want to look better in your jeans, starting on the road to better fitness can be an overwhelming task. As cliché as it sounds, there really is no better time to start that journey than right now. Your time here on earth is short and your time is valuable. Why would you go through one more day of your precious life feeling sluggish and living like the rest of the unfit American population? You can argue that you want to enjoy your life by indulging in tasty treats and relaxing on the couch in your spare time. Or, on the other hand, you can honor your time here on earth and you can lengthen it by taking care of your vessel; your body. Your body will in turn honor you by giving you days, weeks and years of increased energy. These days, weeks and years will yield more events, more memories and more fulfillment.

The first step toward this new life is to generally understand what changes need to be made. This article is the first in a series to take you through this process and to guide you in the direction of healthier living. Chances are that you are pretty set in your ways and it is true that old habits die hard; you may need to make lots of changes. To give yourself a better chance of success, think about making small changes and taking baby steps. Only until you have mastered the first few small changes in your journey, should you begin to tackle the next. Don’t be overwhelmed with the size of the feat. Think about the journey as being part of the destination. Embrace the challenge and relish in each little change that you succeed in making.

Let’s get to work. Your first baby step is to move your body. If you’re already moving, you need to keep moving. The American Council on Exercise recommends 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 3 times a week for the average person. This could be done simply by walking through your neighborhood. (Of course your physician should be notified before you start any exercise regimen if you have preexisting conditions.) Start out slowly if you need to. A slow stroll is better than a slow snore on the couch. You are moving. Work yourself up to a brisk walk with long strides to stretch your tight hip flexors (where your leg meets your body) which could be contributing to your low back pain. Studies show that a brisk walk burns as many calories as a moderate jog. Stand tall, get your blood pumping and make your breathing heavy.

Now with all this moving, how will you prevent yourself from passing out with exhaustion? You need food. Your second baby step is to start to change your body’s fuel. Your body is much like your car; although, sadly, sometimes we take better care of our cars than our bodies! If you fill your body up with poor quality fuel, it will perform inefficiently. It burns through the fuel quickly and slows down to a sluggish pace until more fuel is added. How many times have you slowed to nearly a halt at 3:00 in the afternoon? No doubt it was preceded by a quick breakfast of coffee and a muffin, a quick lunch of something fast food-ish and maybe some M&Ms at the office for filler in between. Your body responds directly to what you put in it. That is hard for some people to grasp. Again, your body responds directly to what you put in it. Every morsel of food you eat is a drug that will affect your body in some way, whether it is good or bad. Food is powerful.

Changing your eating habits is not easy. Let’s start today by switching over from white, processed foods to whole grains. We’re talking about brown rice, whole wheat bread and pasta. Try some shredded wheat for breakfast and some reduced-fat Triscuits to snack on. These whole grain foods will give your body energy that will last for a longer amount of time than their white-flour counterparts that practically turn to sugar the minute you put them into your mouth. Some of the whole grain choices taste differently, but so what. They’re not poison; get used to them; they will do good things for you. If you need to mix your pasta into ½ white and ½ wheat combo for a while, fine. It’s a good first step and it’s better than you’ve done in the past.

Lastly for now, carry a bottle of water around with you throughout the day. Shoot for 2 liters of water each day. It sounds like a lot and it will be tough to do if you don’t have the bottle handy. Keep the intake slow and steady to last all day. Does juice count? Not if it is loaded with sugar. Get rid of it. Does coffee count? Not if it is loaded with caffeine. It will actually dehydrate you. Cut back on it. Your body is almost 85% water. Imagine how it performs when you don’t replenish it sufficiently. Fresh cold water is the most important nutrient you can give your body.

Take the challenge and make a resolution to finish each year healthier than the way you started it. Try the 3 W’s--walking, whole grains and water—and make them a consistent part of your life, your new, full, long life.