Governor’s Wellness Initiative
Exercise Special Edition 2019 Inside this issue‌ Exercise with a purpose Top fitness trends Raising fit kids
Exercise with A PURPOSE Exercise is a powerful tool to reach many fitness and lifestyle goals. Talk with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine. Lose weight Finding ways to stay active that are fun and enjoyable make exercising easier to sustain for a longer period of time. The best workout is the one you actually like to do! To keep it simple, focus on staying active during regular daily activities like walking at a break at work, making time for formal exercise, and eating fresh, non-processed foods.
Gain strength Lean muscle mass naturally diminishes with age. Strength training helps maintain our muscle mass, strengthen bones, and gain strength to perform everyday tasks easier and safer at any age. When beginning, strength training with light or bodyweight exercises is effective to learn proper form and technique.
Move easier Functional fitness is defined as movements that train your muscles to work together to make everyday movements easier. This is useful for many individuals including training athletes, older adults, and children. Functional training allows us to perform daily movements safely and more efficiently. Additionally, this mode of exercise requires little equipment to achieve maximum benefits.
Manage pain Exercise is considered one of the safest and most effective ways to manage joint pain. When it comes to training, a little movement goes a long way. Exercise can help by improving flexibility, and reducing pain and swelling. Other benefits include maintaining bone density and improving muscular strength to combat fatigue.
Sanford Health Plan members are eligible for a free exercise consultation. Talk with an exercise specialist to develop a personalized plan to meet your health and wellness goals. Call (605) 328-6852 to schedule a consultation.
Support brain health Research shows that exercise is linked to cognition as well as mental health. Activities such as brisk walking, yoga, and resistance training can improve sharpness, executive function and memory. Strong evidence also indicates that regular physical activity can relieve feelings of anxiety and depression, even with severe diagnosis.
Sleep better Exercise has been known to improve quality of sleep by increasing the time spent in deep sleep. This sleep phase is the most physically restorative phase, and has many long lasting effects on the body. Deep sleep helps boost the immune system, support heart health, and control stress and anxiety. Regular quality sleep improves work performance and general safety as well.
Stress less Physical activity promotes the release of the brain’s feel-good chemicals, called endorphins. These act as the body’s natural painkillers, helping ease thoughts of worry. Certain repetitive exercises, like running or swimming laps, can become meditation-in-motion. You’ll find yourself focusing only on the movements of your body, putting aside the day’s irritations.
Boost confidence Setting goals related to your physical activity routine and working hard to reach them contributes to your overall selfconfidence. As you pass exercise milestones, getting faster, stronger, you’re bound to feel more capable to continue exercising to reach goals you never thought possible. Let this new confidence fill other areas of your life as well.
TOP fitnes Wearable Technology What is it? These devices can help us work toward specific health and fitness goals by tracking calories, heart rate, sleep habits, steps, sedentary time and more. There are also apps available for smartphones that sync with your wearable technology, or enable your phone to act as your fitness device. • Fitness trackers
• Heart rate monitors
• Smart watches
• GPS tracking devices
Why it works Whether your goal is tracking steps or to monitor your heart rate, having a device keeps you on track for the short-term goals and habits through consistent reminders and real-time feedback.
ss trends
Group Personal Training What is it? This high-energy environment uses a personal trainer to push the small group through a workout. Compared to a fitness class, group training is customized for the group’s specific goals. This training is good for those with a competitive spirit who find motivation in group environments. Why it works This training mode has high probability of success due to group accountability. The trainer, combined with a consistent group of current or new friends creates an inspiring environment. Studies show that more people complete group programs, work out longer and at a higher intensity compared to those in one-on-one training. Story continued on the next page.
TOP Fitness Trends (cont.) HIIT What is it? HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training, and consists of shorts bursts of high intensity exercises paired with short rest periods. HIIT can be modified for any fitness level. Why it works This training is designed to get your heart rate up safely in a short amount of time and is effective for people who have little time for physical activity. This form of training leaves no room for excuses, and anyone can do it. HIIT is effective because it helps us get an adequate amount of exercise in a short amount of time.
Try it! 10 minute HIIT workout Set a timer for 10 minutes and complete as many repetitions of the following exercises as you can. 30 seconds each • Air Squats
• Reverse Crunches
• Push-ups
• Triceps Dips
• Alternating Lunges
• Wall Sit
• Mountain Climbers 45 seconds rest
Repeat the list over again until your 10 minutes is complete
RAISING FIT KIDS Kids don’t come with a handbook and it can be difficult to keep everything straight. While sleep and nutrition are important, childhood exercise is equally vital when it comes to raising healthy kids. How much exercise do kids need? Childhood exercise means at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day that increases the heart rate. This guideline begins at birth and doesn’t change as children grow. Activities like body movement, tummy time, bouncing, crawling and then walking are all forms of exercise. Exercise makes a difference • Improved concentration in school • Increased self-confidence and self-esteem • Enriched social skills through teamwork How can you encourage kids to be active? First, be active with them and be the example. Encourage children to try different activities to find something they enjoy, such as soccer, basketball, dance, hiking, or skiing. Simply playing in the park or outside with friends is also a great way to fit in daily exercise. Healthy habits start during childhood. Talk with your child’s doctor if you have concerns about their heath and physical activity habits.
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