Three Steps to a Healthy Lifestyle

When I started to get fit I joined gyms and took courses in Tai Chi and other martial arts. I was caught up in the myth that I had to walk for forty minutes at a time and eat bland, diet food if I wanted to stay healthy. This is not true according to the experts. I could have achieved the same goals by just focusing on my body, and understanding how it works.

There are 3 types of activities needed to keep a body healthy: endurance activities, flexibility activities, and strength activities . Trying a variety from each group will produce the most health benefits.

What hit me hardest when I started researching, instead of doing what others told me, was that I didn't have to invest one hour a day into activities. This solved a major problem for me. Between my job, responsibilities, family, eating, and sleeping, I didn't have time to drive to the gym, invest one hour, and then drive home.

I knew that sitting at a desk all day was making me look old and starting to bring on aches and pains, but I didn't see a solution. That was until I read the above guides. Then I realized that 2 days a week of strength exercise, five minutes at a time, was enough.

Now, carrying a brief case to the car is not enough. Doing housework is 'stress' not exercise. But, using a back pack to carry things around instead of letting them drag in a bag at the end of my arm was a strength exercise - it counted.