GET OFF YOUR BUTT

Just to preface this post I want to say that I am writing during commercial breaks of basketball games amidst the greatest two weeks in basketball not to mention its one in the morning. So, I will do my best to proofread this before I post it but I can't guarantee cohesiveness and makesenseness (yes I just made up that word). I am also editing this during commercial breaks of Villanova/UCLA so I can't guarantee anything here.

Commercial Break between Minnesota and Texas. Time to do some writing.

So the title of the first fitness tip is "Get off your Butt." I find it very ironic that I am currently sitting as I type this article. I think I will stand up for the rest of this post. Nope, I like sitting better. I think I have done enough activity for the day to get some well-deserved sit time. Although, if you work on your computer a lot its not a bad idea to find a way to stand and work.

As we evolve as humans and technology continually makes our lives easier in a physical exertion sense we spend much more time on our rumps that our ancestors did. No longer do we have to run from saber tooth tigers or kill mastodons for food. If we want to see our friend or go to the store we sit in our car. Instead of going to the factory to work we are sitting at computers for hours and hours. Technology has allowed our population to become extremely sedentary yet increasingly productive. As humans we are not meant to sit. We evolved to walk, run, and jump so as we spend 8-10 hours sitting dysfunction and disease manifest itself inside our bodies. We no longer look like gladiators of the past but feeble couch potatoes.

Two perspectives on WHY you should be getting off your butt!

Whats going on on the outside....aka what everyone else sees

Do you really want computer guy syndrome? Rounded shoulders and upper back, weak and inhibited butt muscles (glutes), short hip flexors and usually a regular history of back pain. Your bones become brittle, you gain extra weight, and your now 90 year old mother whaps you over the head with a ruler still telling you to sit up straight, not to mention she could wallop you in any type of physical activity. But you could surely beat her in a words typed per minute contest. Good for you!!!


How can you prevent it? MOVE!!!! If you sit at a desk for long periods of time in this position you should really check out these two articles. I could write about this all day but I think it is outside the scope of this blog and really why re-invent the wheel. I have a good resource for this that I believe does a thorough job. Read/Skim this ARTICLE because it will give you tips on how to improve your posture throughout the work day and if you are into weight training check out this ARTICLE as well.

The best quick advice I can give is get up and walk around at least twice every hour. Drink a lot of water, it will force you to get up and go the bathroom and you will stay well hydrated. WIN WIN

Now whats going on on the inside....

Not only does lack of exercise make you look whackey (see hunchback of notre dame) but it creates havoc on the inside. Our bodies have evolved to move. We are not supposed to sit for endless hours at a time. This allows disease and sickness to manifest itself within our bodies greatly reducing our quality years of living. I know you may not see the effects yet but that is because you are young and your body is still very resilient. The human body has an extraordinary ability to adapt to its surroundings. However over time your body will begin to break down unless you take care of it.

Think of your body as a car. If you don't maintain it and take care of it sooner or later little things will start to break-down. If you don't fix these things or just brush them off bigger things begin to happen and all of a sudden you are on the side of the freeway and its raining and you left your cellphone at home. Not to mention its the middle of the night and not a single person is on the road. You are in another state and have no idea what to do. Now you might wish you spent the few extra bucks or the few extra minutes to take care of it. The nice thing about the car is that you can get a new one. You only have one body. Think about it. We live in a reactionary society especially when dealing with main steam medicine. Be proactive not reactive. Lets prevent disease and distress from happening in the first place.

I found this quote very interesting as I was doing a little research for this topic:

"We have yet to find a disease state where exercise is not helpful." Miriam Nelson, Ph.D., Tufts University

I don't know about you but I find that astonishing. While I was in college I worked with a lady who had rheumatoid arthritis. Who would have thought that exercise would help someone with arthritis. Guess what, it did tremendously.

A few quick reasons to get exercising:
1. Helps to prevent certain types of cancer
2. Helps to prevent heart disease and diabetes
3. Improves mood and concentration; combats depression
4. Helps you sleep better
5. Improves resistance to infections and viruses
6. Improves brain function making you smarter
7. Improves body composition; more muscle--less fat
8. Live better longer


Movement is something I think we as a population take for granted. Just like with most simple things in life we never really realize how much we appreciated something until its gone. Don't wait for disease or disability to make you aware of how lucky you are to be able to move; take advantage of it everyday.

If you won't get off the couch for own well being, do it to see your grandchildren get old or do it to save thousands of dollars on medical bills. Do it to live longer with less disease. Do it to inspire someone else to do it. Do it by yourself, or with your significant other, or even better with a big group. Take control of your life.

I simply wanted to use this first post as an introduction to exercise and why you should be doing it. In the next few weeks I hope to dig a little deeper into exercise and provide ways for you to get more of it.

Now get off the stupid computer and go for a walk. That's where I am headed. Its a rare beautiful day in Germany.

TJW