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Diet & Exercise
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Eating Well & Getting Active
A
healthy diet and regular physical activity are essential for physical and mental well-being. Eating well and becoming active—or stepping up to participate in more vigorous exercise—can improve your life tremendously. This guide can help you make important lifestyle changes and stick with them for the long run.
Exercise There are many good reasons to keep your body moving. Regular exercise: • Lowers your chances of developing serious health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers. • S trengthens your muscles, lungs, and heart. •B oosts mental sharpness and may help prevent falls. •H elps you maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you need to. •B oosts energy. •H elps you sleep better. •E ases stress and improves mood.
How much exercise do you need? Any amount of exercise beats none. If you’re just starting an exercise routine, begin slowly. Gradually increase the pace, intensity, and length of your activities as you get more fit. When stepping up exercise activity, do so gradually to avoid sore muscles and injuries. Warm up, cool down, and stretch to prevent injuries and keep you loose and limber. Here are some basic exercise goals: Aim for at least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity per week. Time
Strength
Core
Include two strength training sessions (20-30 minutes per session) that target all the major muscle groups.
Include core exercises. Strong core muscles support your back and tone the abdomen.
It can be tough to fit regular workouts into a busy life, but it can be done. These simple tips can help. 1. 1 0-minute bursts: Sessions of aerobic activity should last at least 10 minutes. 2. Treat exercise as an appointment with yourself: Mark it on your calendar.
No matter how motivated you are, it can be tough to make lifestyle changes. But it can be done.
3. Slip exercises into your day: • While on the phone, march in place or do heel raises. • During TV commercials, jog in place or do lunges, squats, or jumping jacks. • Get off the bus a few stops early and walk the rest of the way to your destination. • Park your car far from the entrance at work or shopping malls. • Take stairs instead of elevators or escalators.
Eating Well Choosing healthy foods is one of the best ways to lower your chances of developing many chronic diseases, and can also help you maintain a healthy weight. Here are some simple ways to start improving your diet today:
Beat the Obstacles to a Healthier Lifes Potential barrier No time to exercise. Too hungry or too tired to prepare a good meal. Don’t like “healthy” foods. Cannot afford a gym membership.
What to do
Break exercise into small, 10-minute segmen Wake up 30 minutes early to work out.
Stock your refrigerator, cupboards, and workb
Plan your meals. This saves time and helps y
Prepare healthy meals at the start of the wee
Experiment with new foods. Try various brand
Do your research. Search cookbooks and the i
Take advantage of the “great outdoors.” It’s f
Strength train using your own body weight fo Hold a can of peas in each hand as you squa
Plan ahead. Plan your meals in advance to avoid eating empty, non-nutritious calories. Keep your plate colorful. Load your meals with brightly colored produce. Focus on fiber. Eat more vegetables, whole-grain breads, and pastas. Try a new grain, such as quinoa or couscous. Control portions. Fill half the plate with vegetables; fill one-quarter with protein; and fill one-quarter with whole grains. Be mindful when eating. Take time to savor your food. Once you feel full, stop eating. Cut down on sugary drinks. Replace sodas with sugar-free, sodium-free seltzers. Always plenty of water Go nuts (and seeds)! They pack a lot of nutrients and healthy fats. But these foods tend to be high in calories. Eat five or more vegetables and fruits a day. Mind the salt. Limit fast food, processed food, and canned goods to reduce sodium intake. Choose healthy sources of protein. Choose nuts and beans more often than red meat and dairy products. Limit sweets. Pack your lunch for work or outings. Keep a food journal.
style
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bag with healthy snacks.
you stick to healthy food choices.
ek that can last a few days. Store them in the refrigerator or freezer.
ds until you find one that has a taste and texture you like.
internet to discover delicious, heart-healthy recipes.
free! Take brisk walks, bike, go hiking, or jog. Garden or play Frisbee.
or resistance. Simple exercises can be done with no equipment at all. at or lunge. Do bicep curls with a large bottle of water.
Making Changes: Easy Does It It is helpful to start with specific goals that you know you can achieve. For example, instead of saying “I want to eat healthier,” you might say “I want to drink less soda” or “I’m going to eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread, and eat at least three servings of vegetables a day.” If you want to become more active, you might set small goals that lead to a bigger goal. For instance, you can aim to walk or jog short distances three times a week for a few weeks. Over time, you can increase the distance in order to run a 5K road race. Tell family members, friends, or co-workers about your promise to improve your health and eating habits. They can support and encourage you along the way, especially when you run into rough patches.
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Patient Education Center & Harvard Medical School Patient Education Center 2127 Second Avenue North Fort Dodge, IA 50501 service@patientedu.org About This Brochure: This brochure was written by practicing physicians from Harvard Medical School. It is part of a series developed and distributed by the Patient Education Center. All the information in this brochure and on the associated Web site (www.patientedu.org) is intended for educational use only; it is not intended to provide, or be a substitute for, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Only a physician or other qualified health care professional can provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician on all matters of your personal health. Harvard Medical School, the Patient Education Center, and its affiliates do not endorse any products. Consulting Physician: Anthony L. Komaroff, MD Senior Director, Editorial Operations: Jonathan Nichol Editorial Director: Keith D’Oria © Copyright Harvard Medical School. Printed on 10% post-consumer recycled paper.
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