Photos: Thinkstock

[ research shows ]

THE 10-MINUTE HAPPINESSSOLUTION

Just 10 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise can help those suf- fering from depression and anxiety by improving their confidence and self-esteem, and by providing positive distraction and coping skills, says the

Mayo ClinicWomen’s HealthSource.

THE TAKEAWAY Experts atMayoClinic.com advise the following steps when beginning an exercise program to help relieve depression.

• Identify what you enjoy

doing. Do what you enjoy to help you stick with it.

• Get your mental health provider’s support.

Discuss concerns about an exercise program and how it fits into your overall treatment plan.

• Set reasonable goals.

Tailor your plan to your own needs and abilities rather than trying tomeet unrealistic guidelines.

Don’t put a foot in the grave. Use it for running.

You don’t need a prescription for this depression treatment.

Run for Your Life

• Don’t think of exercise as

a chore. Look at your exer- cise schedule the same way you look at your therapy sessions or medication— as one of the tools to help you get better.

• Address your barriers. If you think about what’s stopping you from exercising, you can probably find a way to counteract it.

• Prepare for setbacks and obstacles. Give yourself credit for every step in the right direction, no matter how small. For instance, if you skip exercise one day, that doesn’t mean you can’t try again the next day.

Or perhaps we should say,“Run to improve your life.”The National Runner’s Health Survey says running 40 miles per week may reduce the risks of stroke by 69%,coronary heart disease by 37%,and diabetes by 68%.

CARDIOAT NIGHT?MAYBENOT

Some people find it difficult to get themselves to work out in the morning, but you may get better overall fat-burning results from

doing your cardio workout earlier in the day. Metabolism stays elevated for a long period of time after any workout. If you do your cardio at night, you still burn calories during

the session, but you fail to take advantage of the after-burn effect because your metabolic rate drops dramatically as soon as you go to sleep. One study demonstrated that subjects burned a kilogram (2.2 lb) of fat sooner when they exercised in a fasted (empty- stomach) state in the morning than when they did it later in the day or in the evening. THE TAKEAWAY Don’t take this to mean cardio is for mornings only. The important thing is to simply get in your workout when you can. But try to do at least 20–40 minutes a day at a moderate walking pace. You really begin to burn fat after the 20-minute mark.

100,000

That’s how many cases of cancer are linked to obesity every year in the U.S., according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

SPRING/SUMMER 2010 | GET ACTIVE! 7 Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44