RAPID CITY, S.D.– On Tuesday, Senator John Thune and three other members of congress introduced a bill to help incentivize and encourage physical activity. The Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act, if passed, would allow Americans to use their pre-tax health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts towards things such as gym memberships and fitness equipment. However, things like gym memberships are only the first part of the battle. Monument Health Specialists give some advice on how to maintain an active lifestyle.
According to the Center for Disease Control, health officials recommend a minimum of 150 minutes a week of physical fitness regardless of age. And while there may need to be adjustments made to avoid serious injury, Monument Health specialists explain that some exercises and activities have important physical benefits. “We want to help in our older population reduce falls,” Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician Dr. Abbie Metzler said. “So, it is going to be a lot more of your stability exercises. Also, [for] our older women, we want to reduce osteoporosis, which is weightlifting. In those with heart concerns, we want more of that aerobic activity, kind of heal that heart up and keep that healthy. There are all of these different areas to focus on, but that can be overwhelming. So I think just starting step one and kind of moving forward from there and just getting yourself moving again is the biggest thing.”
As you exercise, certain signs might alert you if the activity is too strenuous or difficult. Pain is among one of the biggest red flags. And if you do feel pain during a workout, stop immediately and give your body time to rest and recover. “Your body adapts, but it does take some time. And so whenever you do start a new program, start off a little easy, see how you feel, progressively get a little bit tougher, a little more demanding,” Monument Health Performance Specialist Kyle Taylor said. “Do not forget to take breaks every couple of days here and there. Take a little bit of time off and let your body kind of recover a little bit. Doing too much of the same thing for so long usually doesn’t end well.”
Finding an activity you enjoy enough to keep a regular routine is important. “And then once you do, you’re like, ‘Okay, I have kind of gotten bored of this activity’– you can start introducing things into it and kind of play with it,” Dr. Metzler says. “But the first step really is finding something that you truly enjoy doing and that you have fun doing because otherwise, it’s hard to maintain it.” When asked about what activity she enjoys, Dr. Metzler says shadowboxing.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series looking at individual and community efforts to give area senior citizens options for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. W
A training program that is both fun and challenging is much more likely to keep our attention and help us achieve the recommended 150 min
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