HEALTH AND FITNESS continued
HEALTH AND FITNESS continued
End of a Decade,
Time For Reflection
by Mark C. Ford, CPT
Well here we are getting ready to enter the
year 2020. Who would have thought 20 years
ago that we would even be here now? If you had
listened to the doomsday people, Y2k was going
to bring unprecedented calamity. Planes were
going to fall from the sky, our power grid was
going to shut down, the 911 Emergency System
was going to be inoperable and life as we know
it would never be the same. But here we are 20
years later in relatively good shape. Or are we?
Unfortunately the question of how we have
fared these past 20 years is debatable.
The latest statistics indicate that approx.
160 Million Americans are either obese or
overweight. Childhood obesity is becoming
epidemic, and diabetes is affecting more of our
youth every day. It’s gotten so bad in the younger
ages that many health care professionals no
longer call Type 2 diabetes “Adult Onset.”
So why is this and what can we do to reverse
this trend? Government statistics tell us that 1
in 3 children are physically inactive. Less than
5% of adults participate in 30 minutes or more
of daily exercise and 1/3 of high school students
play video or computer games for at least 3
hours on an average school day. This is not the
lifestyle that is going to result in a physically fit
and healthy society. Not to mention the financial
consequences of needed medical attention that
could otherwise be avoided.
So where do we start to change this situation?
How about beginning by eating sensibly. It’s
been said that one of the first things Europeans
notice when visiting the US for the first time, is
how large our meal portions are and also our
waistlines. Makes sense doesn’t it? However, I am
a firm believer that what you eat and when you
eat is just as important as how much you eat.
It’s the “junk” that gets you, and unfortunately
far too many people indulge in the latter on a
regular basis. There are way too many healthy
alternatives available today to be making fast
food your staple.
Now that we have decided on a healthier
diet, then what’s next. One word “ACTIVITY.” I’m
not talking about trying to become a world class
athlete overnight, but rather a daily routine
that does not include Facebook, Instagram,
Texting or anything involving a screen. I would
even recommend leaving your phone at home.
It is possible to go a couple of hours without
checking in on everybody. Trust me, I do it all
the time. I’m also old enough to remember when
the only phone you had was in the house. If you
were home when it rang, then you answered it (I
hate to admit it, but I can even remember before
there were answering machines). We seemed to
get by just fine.
HEALTH AND FITNESS con't. next column HEALTH AND FITNESS con't. next column
I also tell my clients to try to never have a
completely sedentary day. Even a nice walk in
the evening can get your pulse up and burn a
few excess calories. Once you have established a
routine and stick with it for awhile, you will feel
like you are missing something if you don’t get
up and get some type of physical activity each day.
I always hate to hear when a school district,
due to budgetary problems, is having to cut
back on physical education or some of their
sports programs. This decision primarily affects
the age groups wherein lifestyle habits are being
developed, and every effort should be taken to
maintain these programs. An investment in our
youth is money well spent, in my opinion. After
all they are the ones who will be leading our
society in the decades to come.
So if 2019 leaves you feeling like you could
have done more to improve your well being,
then the 2020’s are waiting to help get you where
you want to be. Hope you enjoy the trip. ☐
Mark Ford is a local ACE (American
Council on Exercise) Certified Personal
Trainer who specializes in training
individuals age 50 and over in the comfort
of their homes. He can be reached at
(910) 975-2572 or mford42@nc.rr.com
By L.S. Crain, S.Pines resident 1989-2017,
now lives in Taylors, SC, his birthplace.
No. 136 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. p.35
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