T CAN BE DIFFICULT to fi nd realistic ways to incorporate physical activity into your routine, despite signifi cant health and even fi nancial benefi ts. If this struggle sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
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Only 20 percent of adults meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) guidelines for both cardiovascular (aerobic) and muscle-strengthening activities. Often, benefi ts result from meeting the current recommendations of a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate cardiovascular activity or 75 minutes of vigorous car- diovascular activity, along with a minimum of two days a week of strengthening activities.
Financial benefits Imagine reaping an average annual savings of $5,242 and $3,964 for men and women, respectively, due to individual fi tness levels. Your fi tness level at midlife could deter- mine these savings. Recent research published in the
Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed cardiorespira- tory fi tness in midlife (average age
8 TIPS TO GET FIT
of 49 years) had a strong relation- ship with lower health care costs later in life, regardless of other cardiovascular risk factors. High-fi t participants at midlife had 40-per- cent-lower annual health care costs approximately 22 years later, com- pared to low-fi t participants. Fitness really does pay off , but it can be very diffi cult to go from a sedentary lifestyle to barely meet- ing the CDC’s minimum recommen- dations. The good news is, small fi tness improvements can make a big diff erence.
Reducing risks with small changes According to research recently published in Obesity, subgroups within the “very poor” fi tness cat- egory might surprise you. Most people are aware that individuals in this category have the highest risk of death from all causes. But those
in the top portion of the very poor fi tness category had less risk of death than those in the “mid-very poor” fi tness category. Similarly, those in the mid-very poor fi tness category were at less risk than those in the “low-very poor” fi tness cat- egory. Even small improvements in overall fi tness can have signifi cant health benefi ts. So don’t be discouraged if you
are not in the highest fi tness cat- egory today, as small improvements can add up to big results for im- proved health. Remember, the most important action you can take is engaging in some form of physical activity — you just need to fi nd the time to exercise consistently, which can pose a challenge.
Adding small activities Finding time to exercise doesn’t have to consume your day — breaking up activity into smaller, achievable goals is a great way to start any fi tness jour- ney. An eff ective strategy can include adding a little extra activity through- out your day. You will be amazed at how quickly smaller, 10-minute breaks can add up to 150 minutes of moder- ate activity a week. (See “8 Tips to Get Fit,” below, for suggestions on how to make the most of small breaks.)
72 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2017 ARY OFFICER MONTH 2016
TAKE A
BALLROOM DANCING CLASS
SPEED- CLEAN THE
HOUSE
DO JUMPING JACKS
IMMEDIATELY AFTER
WAKING UP
WALK THE LENGTH OF THE GOLF COURSE
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