Most of you got on a raw-foods diet to be healthier. If you've been on it long enough to begin to settle into a lifestyle mode, then you are, no doubt, feeling better in all kinds of ways. You have more energy; your digestive system is happy with you; and your mental outlook is better than it has been for a long time. However, you do need to begin to think about an exercise program. It's no more “natural” for the body to be sedentary than it is for it to survive on processed foods. Especially if you’re in a job where you sit for a lot of the day, you need to be purposeful about devising an exercise program that will give your body the benefits that exercise can bring. This article includes some ideas you might want to think about to increase your well-being and your health.
Cooling Down
This is a vital part of any exercise program. You need to allow about ten minutes for this so you can cool down gradually. Don't stop exercising abruptly. This allows your blood to redistribute itself if it has pooled in your arms and legs, which tends to happen when you end a workout. It also prevents muscle stiffness because it allows the metabolic wastes to be worked out of your muscles. You can avoid some of the soreness and stiffness that typically follow a workout the following day if you take time to cool down.
Sleep – an Important Ingredient
Make certain you’re getting seven or eight hours of sleep every night because your body functions at its best when your sleep patterns are regular. Cheating on your sleep affects all parts of your life, and your exercise workouts are affected by it.
Toning
It's important to strengthen your muscles as a part of your training. Using weights is useful in this. Thirty to sixty minutes of exercise a day is recommended by the USDA, but you don't need to spend all of it in weight training. Twenty minutes a day on one set of muscles is a good plan. You can add more repetitions as you go. Start conservative and go from there.
Using Resistance Bands
These are a very good way to do your strength training. They've become very popular. You can use an inexpensive set of bands right at home and do all the exercises a gym or trainer would have you doing. Do squats while pulling on the band wrapped around a doorknob, for instance. Some bands have safety features. If you’re concerned about injuring yourself, you might look into those.
Walking
This is the best possible way to get the exercise you need, and most of us can walk on our streets. It's a good way to meet the neighbors because many of them will also be out walking in most neighborhoods. You can also walk on the tracks at schools. When we lived in Greeneville, Tennessee, my husband and I went to Tusculum, a suburb, to their middle school track for our daily walk. The setting was pleasant and we saw many people we knew. It was a popular place! We have also walked in shopping malls. Check with the management for the best time.
Dance Workouts
If you’re rhythmic, you’ll love these! Turn on the stereo and get in the living room or family room and dance–all by yourself. It would also be fun to sign up for some swing or salsa lesions. Get your significant other to go with you or enlist some of your raw-foods friends. You’ll have a wonderful time!
Concluding Thoughts
If you’re just sitting in the evening reading or watching television, this is a good time to put your legs up so your blood can recirculate. If you’re doing housework, deliberately build in some stretches. Don't avoid walking–add opportunities to take more steps and move your body. Park far enough from the grocery store that you will have to walk to get there. Take your children on walks and involve them in your exercise program. This is a good time for them to begin to realize the benefits of staying active. Most of them will also be doomed to lives where they’ll have to sit a lot, so getting them started early thinking about better health will help them as they grow up. Walk the dogs. They need the exercise, and so do you.
To your practical health,
Gabrielle
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