Friday 3 November 2017

November 3, 2017 Chautauqua


Beth's Ponderings

   As we make the transition to the season of winter, many of us just don’t feel the urge to move or exercise.   No need to feel guilty as this is a part of the natural cycle we go through, as do most mammals in our northern region, as our bodies slow down to conserve energy during the cold winter months of hibernation.

   Since humans don’t hibernate we need to maintain some level of activity, even in winter , in order to stay healthy.

   But, how much activity do we really need?  Articles, websites, books, and newcasts abound with various recommendations ranging from a mere 5 minute walk daily to an hour of intense activity daily.

   I recently read where NASA discovered - almost by accident - the condition that causes the greatest ageing and illness on our bodies is weightlessness (i.e. zero gravity), and the closest earthly equivalent to weightlessness is sitting or standing because gravity isn’t working on our bodies, other than to keep us earth-bound.


   Therefore, the best “exercise” is one that moves our bodies through gravity - not so much horizontally, but vertically, such as jumping and climbing.  Now, before you get too winded just thinking about that, the easiest way to move our bodies through gravity is to stand up from a sitting position and sit back down.  Doing that a minimum of 32 times during each day will do more for our overall health than most exercise.

Beth


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