Resolution Solutions: A Healthier You in 2010

Today, the PowerLunch crowd here at Prestonwood heard from a panel about the importance of beginning a new journey to become healthy and fit in this new decade. I’ve joked that for many of us, resolutions seem to be forgotten by Groundhog’s Day (today!) So we had two personal trainers certified by the Cooper Clinic, my daughter-in-law Toby Graham, and Matt Brady, and Mike Maack, our Director of Sports Outreach here at the church...

They provided great information, like making fitness a lifestyle and a journey, not a destination that you stop working on when you reach a specific goal ... about doing simple things like finding a parking space farther away than usual and taking the stairs instead of the elevator ... about keeping cravings in check by finding out just how many calories a piece of chocolate cake has and what it will take to burn it off – before you eat it!

All this got me thinking about the benefits of exercise and some great information that Dr. Ken Cooper, a longtime Prestonwood member and founder of Cooper Clinic, has provided... Check it out below. I know it’ll challenge you to forget the resolutions and just make it your life’s journey to stay fit and healthy.

The Benefits of Exercise

Exercise:
• Makes rest and relaxation much easier
• Helps the lungs function more efficiently,

making breathing easier
• Increases the efficiency of the heart
• Lowers resting heart rate
• Helps the heart pump more blood with less effort
• Raises metabolism
• Increases muscle mass
• Reduces fat
• Increases bone density
• Delays or prevents osteoporosis
• Increases circulation
• Decreases the likelihood of peptic ulcers and esophageal reflux
• Strengthens the immune system
• Lowers risk of strokes
• Reduces high blood pressure
• Lowers the risk of breast cancer
• Reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s
• Increases life expectancy up to10 years
• Improves the memory and cognitive ability of the brain
• Increases performance and production at work
• Improves attitude at home and at work due to the release of endorphins
• Makes you feel better
• Makes you look younger
• Helps you become a better role model and leader
• Positively affects your witness for Christ as your body is God’s temple

Exercise Decreases:
• Fatigue
• Snoring
• Heartburn
• Lower back pain
• Chronic joint or muscle pain
• Headaches
• Sleeping difficulty
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Upper respiratory infections and colds
• Likelihood of diabetes
• Body weight, which greatly impacts health
• Brain fatigue
• Absenteeism
• Cost of health care
• Your portion of health insurance costs

Healthy Eating and Good Nutrition:
• Help control your body weight
• Increase energy
• Keep you in a better mood
• Promote healthier pregnancies and babies
• Improve bodily functions
• Help you sleep better and feel more rested
• Make you feel better
• Cause you to look younger
• Help you manage your weight
• Lead to better skin tone
• Keep bones healthy
• Prevent dementia
• Prevent headaches
• Prevent depression
• Prevent arthritis
• Make hair and nails shinier and healthy
• Slow aging process

Help Avoid:
• Heart trouble
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Osteoporosis

Lower the Risk of Chronic Diseases As Well As the Top Three Causes of Death
• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Stroke