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The Washington Post| April 17, 2007|
Special Issue: Fitness
Sit to Be Fit - Then Make Some Moves
Utter the word "fitness," and most people imagine demanding, time-consuming
routines that seem incompatible with busy lives.
No wonder that nearly 60 percent of Americans fall short of the recommended
daily activity levels, according to the latest government figures. As the late
comedian Joey Adams once quipped: "If it weren't for the fact that the TV set
and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn't get any exercise at
all."
The problem is that we are built to move. So the hours spent sitting in front
of computers, watching television and stuck in traffic can take a toll not just
on our waistlines but also on our backs, our hearts, our brains and our life
expectancy.
You may not always be able to control how long you sit, but the
posture you adopt in those sedentary moments can make a difference, as you can
see in the graphic above. Part of being fit is how you sit. A few simple
adjustments can pay off. Strengthen the core muscles of your trunk, and you can
help take the strain off your back. That may enable you to use your body better
during active times.
The idea that activity is tied to good health is not new. Plato observed that
inactivity "destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and
methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." In Victorian times,
Edward Stanley, who served three terms as British prime minister, noted that
"those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later
have to find time for illness."
But before you rush to the gym, know this: The preventive effects of
practicing good posture and regular, brief bouts of physical activity rival
those of longer -- and more intense -- exercise regimens. So as little as 10
minutes of exercise has significant health benefits, from helping to whittle
waistlines to controlling blood pressure.
Ten minutes seems possible, even for the most hectic days. Ten minutes is the
time you might spend discussing the latest "Sopranos" episode or last night's
game. Ten minutes can be the time you wait for the bus or the Metro. There's
time to build 10 minutes of so-called lifestyle exercises into the busiest
schedules -- taking the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator, parking at
the far side of the lot rather than fighting over the closest space or
delivering a message to a colleague instead of sending an e-mail.
No one suggests that any of these activities will prepare you to run a
marathon, perfect your tennis serve or give you the endurance to climb a
mountain. They're simply achievable goals that can help make your daily finish
line easier and might give you the energy to reach even higher.
Resources for Brief Workouts
Stretch Time by Paratec. Download these exercises to your computer: http://www.paratec.com,
$44.95 for individual users; 10-day free trial for Apple computer users and
wheelchair users.
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