Physical+Activity


 * When people hear wellness, they normally think of exercise. This page is dedicated to all of the activities we do during the day that keep us healthy. Sleep and relaxation may not seem like they are physical activities because you body isn't burning tons of calories, but they really are. Both activities are very important to your physical and mental health. Also on this page you can learn all about DoGroove, a Blue Cross and Blue Shield program all about little activities through out the day improving your overall health. **

**__Exercise __** There are many benefits of exercise. You can have more energy, live longer, and feel better. No matter how old you are or your range physical ability, you can always benefit from exercise. Studies have shown that getting a ½ hour of exercise each day is the best kind of medicine and lowers people’s risks of countless diseases. In the video "23 and a 1/2 hours," Mike Evans said “Can you limit your sitting and sleeping to just 23 and ½ hours?” It really is simple, getting a ½ hour of exercise. It can range from a 3 mile run to taking your dog for a walk. People that are obese and get no exercise at all are very likely to die early. Obese people that do get exercise, even if they are not losing weight, have less of the negative consequences that are obese related. Also getting active improves your mood immensely. There are chemicals in your brain that are stimulated when you exercise and make you feel happier. It sounds funny but when you exercise, you have more energy. Your body’s cardiovascular system works fast because exercising delivers things like oxygen and nutrients to the tissues all over you body. This makes you feel more energized throughout the whole day. Also, regular exercise helps you fall and stay asleep. I definately agree with Mike Evans theory that exercise is the best medicine. There are endless pluses of exercise. Can you take a ½ an hour out of your day for all of these benefits?

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**__Sleep __** Sleep is a very important part of wellness that is usally overlooked. Sleep is definatly not a waste of time and may in fact be the difference between a healthy and unhealthy lifestyle. Bad nutrition along with causes of diseases may occur due to not enough sleep. By not getting enough sleep, you physical and mental health suffers. Also, not sleeping enogh is a danger to others. Reports show 20-30% of car accidents were due to tired drivers. During the day, toxins build up in you body. At night, your body rejuvenates and gets rid of all of them. If you don’t give your body enough time to do so, the toxins build up. Chiken noodle soup may feel good when you are sick, but it doesn’t heal you. The best way for your body to get ride of a sickness is to rest. When you are sick you need more rest than you would normally get. Your body cant get better without it. Dreaming is an amazing process that only takes place when you are asleep. Without sleep, your spirituality and mentality wouldn't be as developed because dreaming helps develop these states of being. Sleeping is a very important part of wellness that should not be over looked. I hope all of these facts about rest will influence you to sleep more.



**__Relaxation __** To keep healthy, you need time to relax. Relaxation keeps your stress level down and improves your mental health. If each day, a person doesn’t get 10 minutes to wind down and just relax, it can result in memory failure, mental health problems, and sometimes may lead to heart attacks. When a person becomes stressed out, their stomach lining starts to ware away from the acid and over time, ulcers occur. Whether its yoga, a hot bath, or a massage, stress is decreased. This is because you need time to reflect on yourself and when you don’t get that time, small stresses become a bigger deal because our stress hormone level is raised. These actions also cause anxiety that also wears away your stomach. Have you ever lain awake for hours on end without being able to fall asleep? That’s because your mind hasn’t gotten time to relax so your brain keeps conjuring up thoughts that keep you awake. It is easy to relax in small ways to. If you have trouble falling asleep, you can follow the following exercises. Think of a place that you feel comfortable and happy in and then think of a short word to describe the place and chant it slowly in your mind. Pretend all of your limbs are slowly getting heavier while concentrating on your breathing. Keep doing activities and you should be asleep in no time at all. If you are trying to relax during the daytime, try some of these activities. A hot bath will slow down your breathing and take the tension away from your body. Also, mentally, hot bathes make you feel pampered which is a good stress reliever. Gentle soothing music is another great way to relax. It calms your body down. If the music has 60 beats per minute, your heart rate syncs to it and makes a relaxing sensation fall over you. Relaxation is very important to your physical health as well as your mental heath.

**__Everyday Activities __**

You don't need to work out at the gym everyday to keep fit. 10 minute exercise bursts trough out the day can improve your cardio fitness also. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking far away to get to your building can help improve your health. These small everyday actions add up to a big difference in your life. DoGroove, a Blue Cross and Blue Shield idea is a great program that promotes this idea. DoGroove is the concept that when you groove your body throughout the day, your health improves. Also your weight and chances of heart diseases, strokes, high blood pressure and more are reduced. It is really easy to keep fit doing simple household tasks. Mopping the floor, sweeping, dusting, taking the trash out, and washing windows burn 170 calories each when you do them. If you do these little actions through out the whole day everyday, your lifestyle and health will become much better. Think about this next time there is and elevator and stairs between you and the place you are going.



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