Obesity and It's Link to Life Expectancy

News Flash!

Research has proven time and time again that being over weight can have negative effects on your health. Did you know that a 10% decrease in overall weight can greatly improve your health? Just 10%! Cardiovascular exercise can lower your blood pressure and strengthen your heart muscle. Weight bearing exercise can increase muscle size and strength. Impact activities such as jumping or running can improve your bone density which is especially important as we age. This is no New news. The benefits of an active lifestyle have been documented and reported on for years. But now a number as been attached to the direct ill effects of obesity and life expectancy. In years past it was said that being even slightly over weight can reduce your life span by 3 to 5 years. Some may shrug their shoulders and say, "Aw, that's not so bad." Now, new research has come out from Oxford University after a 20 year study involving 900,000 adults concluding that being severely or morbidly obese can lower your life expectancy by nearly 10 years. That's nearly the same number of years reduced from your life as smoking cigarettes can cause.

BMI Formula: ( Weight in Pounds / ( Height in inches ) x ( Height in inches ) ) x 703
*1 foot = 12 inches

The BMI scale:
18.5 or less - Underweight
18.5 to 24.9 - Healthy
25.0 to 29.9 - Overweight
30.0 to 34.9 - Obese
35.0 to 39.9 - Obese
40 or greater - Extremely Obese

10 Years! How much could be accomplished in 10 Years? How many lives could you encounter? How many memories could you make?

Today is the day to take control of your life and decide to make a change for the better.

Step One: Begin a food journal. Food journals are key in taking an honest look into your current eating habits and finding places for improvement. Be honest with yourself when writing in your food journal. Write down everything you eat in a day, the calorie content, and what time you eat it, i.e. breakfast, mid morning snack, etc. It's extremely important to be truthful with the journal because it's there to help you realize where you can begin to make positive changes. Try to keep your calorie intake around 1500-1800 per day.

Step Two: Move More. It's that simple. Our lives have become inactive with long periods of sitting. Our bodies were not designed to sit for too long so give them what they crave, movement. A great way to incorporate some extra movement into your day is by parking farther away from the entrance to the store or your place of work. In reality it's not that much more work to walk an extra 10 steps although sometimes it feels like it is. I encourage you to give it a try. You could even buy a pedometer which counts the number of steps you take each day. It's suggested that you strive for 10,000 steps per day. I know that may sound like a lot but it's not that many. Once you begin to keep track you'll notice you may walk more than you think.

Step Three: Have a support system. Tell those around you about the new information you learned today about obesity and it's link to a life that could potentially be shortened by ten years. Tell them that today you've made that final decision to start on your road to success. Encourage them to do the same and make it a combined effort to live as healthy as you can among and with you support team. If there's no one around you that is willing to take these positive steps with you, then consider a church group or fitness group within the community that you could join. Consider a personal trainer, one that is trained to encourage you and push you in a safe, effective way that helps you along to a healthier, happier you. Personal Trainers have a bad reputation sometimes because they can be considered pricey but consider the cost of health care when you're unhealthy. A personal trainer is a bargain when you think about it in those terms.

You can do this. Today is your day! Begin your food journal, go outside for a walk or do some housework, and then tell those around you about your plans and ask for encouragement and help. You Can Do This!

Welcome!

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to the first installation of 'Your Personal Fitness Trainer'. I hope this will serve you in a way you've never been served before. I will offer up tips on nutrition, fitness, and overall health and wellness to better help you achieve the quality of life you desire. That, by the way, is the overall theme of this blog. To help you achieve a life that is healthy and happy and that you can enjoy for as many years as possible to spend that valued time with loved ones and doing all the things you've always wanted to do. Sure you can continue to live a life that causes you to struggle physically, feel stressed out all the time, winded as you top a flight of stairs, but WHY? Why stay on a path that doesn't get you where you want to be? You don't have to. That's the secrete. There are a lot of people that think they have to continue living in pain, low self-esteem, or low self-image and that is simply NOT true. Let this be a resource for you to learn how to eat better, uncover the myths about diet and exercise, and a place to sort out all the confusing information that you're bombarded with every day. A healthier life is not that confusing and together we'll find the perfect balance and path to your new healthier self.