Exercise...it's never too late!

Dr. Fischer Food for Thought

Dr. Rachel Fischer

Creativity–Your “Down-Time” Best Friend 

Whether you’re a daily exerciser, or someone committed to beginning a regular exercise routine, undoubtedly, there are circumstances that can dash even the best intentions.  For most people, these include normal life events, like travel, an increase in work or family demands, or something really frustrating like an injury.   However, as I mentioned in response to one reader’s recent question, there are ways to maintain fitness even during a “down” time.   Over the next few blog posts, I’m going to talk about a few strategies that may keep you from slipping into the “blah” feeling that comes with less activity.

Unless you’re bed ridden or it’s just not safe with your specific injury, the first strategy is to find some way to continue at least some level of moderate physical activity. Why is some level of activity a good idea?  Besides the obvious ones, like it maintains functional mobility and it feels good, there are a few more subtle reasons.  While it is well accepted that regular physical activity helps you maintain your current weight, it has only modest benefits for weight loss in the absence of calorie restriction.  But here’s the important point: in a sense, exercise helps you restrict calories.  This may be so because appetite-related hormones respond to exercise, causing you to feel less hungry and more satiated after eating a smaller amount of food.  This seems to be true for about an hour after physical activity.

By now you may be asking the question, “ How am I supposed to exercise if I don’t have time, or if I’m injured?”  Following are a few suggestions.

§  Incorporate stairs and walking into your day as much as possible. As the holidays approach, that means skipping the escalators/elevators at the mall and airport.  If you’re traveling during the holidays, use walking as a time to bond with family and friends.

§  Half the time of your normal workout, but double the intensity.  For example, if you usually go for a 5-mile run, go for a 20-minute run with 30-second sprint drills every minute.  You can do the same on a bike.  You can also make up your own routine using body-weight exercises, such as push-ups, tricep dips, squat jumps, etc. If you search “body weight exercises” on YouTube, you’re bound to find a wide variety of ideas to create a solid, fast, efficient workout.

§  If you’re healing from injury, definitely check with your physician before starting a modified exercise routine.  If you were instructed to rest—take advantage of the down time.  Stick to gentle stretching and range-of-motion exercises.  With proper time to heal, you’re more likely to bounce back to 100%.  If appropriate, modify your regular routine and use your recovery time to try something new. For example, if you’re biker, try more swimming, rowing and weight lifting.

The possibilities for maintaining fitness during busy times or injury are endless—just be flexible and a bit creative.  I wish you all a healthy and peaceful holiday season!

Rachel Fischer, MD, MPH

From www.forever-athletes.com