We are now a couple of months into 2010?..how are those New Year's Resolutions working out for you? If you're like many, the excitement of making your resolution to exercise more has dwindled away like the excitement after your New Years party. Don't give up yet! Here's a little reminder of how much you can benefit by adding a little exercise to your daily routine and get the entire family involved!

Exercise is an important part of staying healthy and has many wide-spread effects on the human body. The American Medical Association now recommends we exercise 5 times a week for 30 minutes vs the previous standard of 3 times per week for 20 minutes. Research shows us that people who are active live longer, feel better and maintain their lifestyles at home longer than those who are not active. Exercise helps us achieve or maintain a healthy weight, delay or prevent diabetes, some cancers and even heart problems. It can also improve one's sense of well being, raise our self-esteem, relieve tension, and provide an environment for socialization. Exercise is proven to play a major role in the reduction of chronic pain and depression as well. Problems associated with aging to include injury, falls, short term memory loss, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis in major joints and the spine, increased body fat, decreased muscular strength and flexibility, loss of body mass, lower metabolism and slower reaction times, can be minimized or even prevented though daily exercise. How's that for motivating factors?

The benefits of exercise are not specific to the adult population. Children emulate what their parents do and it should be no surprise that the increase in childhood obesity parallels that of the adult population. Children eat what's available to them in the household and what everyone else is eating at meal time. In today's society, children are generally spending more time playing videogames, on the computer, or watching television and less time playing outside or participating in physical activities. This change in activity level and poor diet is strongly linked to the increases in childhood obesity we are now seeing. The increasing number of obese children is alarming, and if no intervention is made, many of them will stay overweight as adults. This can put them at risk for many medical problems to include but not limited to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart problems, musculoskeletal injuries and sleep apnea, not to mention adversely affecting their interactions with others and self-image.

A great way to prevent our children from becoming another statistic and to meet our personal fitness goal is to eat healthy and exercise together as a family. Again, children emulate what their parents do and setting aside time together to focus on family health and well being is the single best investment we can make for our future. They key to success is to make it fun! If it is fun, everyone is more likely to stay motivated. You may want to take the opportunity to talk while you walk with your spouse or child, bike ride, swim, or paddle a canoe around the lake. Even doing household chores, both in and outdoors, is a good way to be physically active. By developing good, healthy eating and exercise habits while your children are young will help insure a life long ritual that will keep your children and America's future strong and healthy.

When first starting to exercise, it is important to establish safe, realistic and obtainable goals. All too often people set goals that are too lofty and fail to meet their goals, thus losing motivation and stop exercising. People need to realize that their body's change over repeated exposure to any one activity to meet the physical needs of that activity. A slow progressive exercise routine that is consistent, quantified or measured, is safer and will yield a greater result, than an exercise program composed of exercise extremes such as lifting the most weight, or running the fastest you can. Whether you work out in a fitness center or at home, start out slowly and use good judgment. When starting a formal exercise program, it is recommended that you consult with your Doctor first to make certain you are not at risk for further injury.

The Cook Rehab Department offers a wellness center open to the public composed of a full line of both cardiovascular and circuit training equipment at a very reasonable fee. If you are concerned about a specific health issue as it relates to exercise it is recommended that you see your physician and request a referral for Physical or Occupation Therapy for a customized exercise routine to meet your health care needs. The Rehabilitation Staff are available for consultation via the phone regarding any questions or concerns regarding childhood obesity or fitness training.

For Office/Wellness Center hours, related fees, questions related to this topic, or to make an appointment, please contact the Cook Hospital Rehabilitation Department at 218-666-6225.