Exercise

It really doesn’t matter what winter festival you celebrate — it is going to involve more food than you usually have to deal with on any given day.

What is it about holidays that demand sugary delights and stuffed bellies? It is as though we are trying to make up for not getting these things in our regular day to day living.

Originally that was true. The seasonal feast was a celebration of life and all the good things in it, including sugar and an abundance of food.

The only advice I give you on the subject of holiday food is moderation.

However, the subject here is exercise. In the mad rush to get ready for your day of celebration, have you forsaken your exercise routine? Lets face it, each day only has so many hours. You already have a set time to take care of all the daily tasks including sufficient sleep. Now you must add time to shop, wrap, mail, cook and party.

If nothing else, take a 15 minute walk every day. Not a shopping walk, but a walk around the block. Breathe deeply and think on the meaning of the holiday not all the chores. Your exercise is to de-stress and in doing so, stop some of the fat storage.

Take as many as possible 3 minute workouts. Finish those Christmas cards and then jog in place for a minute. Stretch out those cramped muscles. Every chore finished is a time to celebrate with a happy dance, you know the funny one where you twirl and jump and smile.

Sample all the goodies, but don’t stuff. Walk as much as possible. Drink lots of water. Keep some exercise routine going even if it is only 15 minutes a day.

For a little humor check out a Politically Correct Christmas

Merry Christmas

Sharon

A strong healthy heart is supported by healthy exercise. The stress of exercise helps to build the heart muscle. 

A heart attack  or myocardial infarction is a condition in which the myocardium or the heart muscle does not get enough oxygen and other nutrients and so it begins to die.

Exercise  stimulates the development of new connections between the impaired and the nearly normal blood vessels, so people who exercise have a better blood supply to all the muscle tissue of the heart.  That also means you have a better supply of blood to your brain and every other part of your body.

One study  showed that moderate exercise several times a week is more effective in building up these auxiliary pathways than extremely vigorous exercise done twice as often.

Such information has led some people to think of exercise as a panacea for heart disorders, a fail-safe protection against hypertension or death. Just as your body does not live on air alone, it makes sense that a sensible diet is also most important to heart health.

If your level of exercise at this time is pushing a button on the TV remote, you must start to exercise your whole body now.  You must start slow and build up.  Your initial efforts at exercising may stop after your stretching routines.  For someone who is sedentary those stretches are exercise.  But don’t give up.  With consistent effort you will join those with healthy strong hearts.