Welcome to spring when our days are longer, our weather is not quite as wet, and our great outdoors awakens to life. April is a great time to consider your fitness, one of the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine. Whether you putter in the garden, walk around the block, or hike over mountains, you want to build strength and stamina after what for many are less active winter months.
Being sedentary can hurt your health
Physical activity is essential for long-term health, but modern urban life—whether sitting in traffic, at a desk, or in front of a screen, can impact our physical and mental well-being. In 2020, the Korean Journal of Family Medicine reported that one-third of the global population over the age of 15 has insufficient physical activity, with Americans inactive almost 8 hours a day. April is National Move More Month, a time to take stock of our daily activity and how we can work more motion into our routine.
Exercise helps your body do its job
The human body evolved to move, and our digestive, respiratory, and cardiac systems rely on activity to function properly. Just as exercise increases heart rate and blood flow, activity energizes our nervous system, insulin sensitivity, and vascular function. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that regular activity can prevent or manage chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and several cancers.
Any movement can help your health
Activity refers to all movement, not simply hitting the gym or going for a run or bike ride. The goal is to add more movement every day. This includes walking and cycling, but also chores around the home, outdoor hobbies, dancing, and gardening, and you can track all of this to make sure you’re getting enough. The WHO has developed an action plan for a more active and healthier world that includes evidence-based standards for activity, sports opportunities for people of all skill levels, and the integration of activity into primary care.
Regular activity can reduce long-term health risks
Kinwell has always considered fitness a key aspect of patient health along with diet, sleep, and mental well-being. The major conditions that lead to expensive medications and hospitalizations are best prevented through healthy lifestyle choices. Here are a few suggestions from the National Institute of Health on how you can choose to be more active through your day:
- Walk instead of drive, whenever you can.
- Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.
- Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV.
- Get off the bus a stop early and walk the rest of the way.
- Go up hills instead of around them.
- Garden or make home repairs.
- Wash the car by hand.
- Do sit-ups in front of the TV.
- Avoid labor-saving devices, such as a remote control or electric mixer.
- Dance
- Swim
Move in whatever way feels right
The American Heart Association has additional suggestions on how to keep active during the day, including short workouts and ways to move at work. Discuss any fitness concerns you have with your Kinwell team. Your primary clinician might recommend a consult with a behavioral health specialist or health coach. Schedule an appointment online or call 833-411-5469.
