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 Why Exercise? Because It's Awesome!

By: Katie Kujawa, Danny Duggan, and Ethan Kuster

Get Up and Move!

Well, physical activity are those movement activities of daily living including work and job-related activities, leisure time activities, and activities performed around the home or while running errands. Sufficient levels of physical activity can result in improvements of fitness and health, but exercise also plays an import ant role. So walking to your car or walking around the grocery store is not considered exercise just physical activity.
 * Physical Activity vs. Exercise: What's the big difference?!**

But, exercise is the structured movement process that individuals consciously and voluntarily engage in. Exercise includes those activities that improve or maintain fitness and health and those activities that improve performance or athletic competition. There is a difference between exercise and sport or athletic competition. Sport and athletic competition are movement in structured and organized activities that consist of a competitive aspect including all individual and team athletic events.

Include Variety: Rockhurst workout room, Convocation Center, Loyola Turf Field, Lower Burke, and Loose Park
 * Incorporate physical activity & exercise into everything. Here's how...**

• Visit different locations to exercise each week • Assign each day of the week with a particular sport. • Try out a seasonal favorite, like swimming or canoeing in the summer, or skiing and snow shoeing in the winter. Also Try: Create a Schedule: With a blank template you can revise your schedule to add your work out to the central focus of each day! Forming a routine is vital to maintaining an active lifestyle. • Pick the times that works • Some activity is better than no activity-- even if you have just ten minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening, use it for exercise.

Think Outside the Box A gym membership is not necessary --instead try: • Throw on that pair of sneakers and go for a walk around campus with friends. Walking is a great time to catch up on the day’s events. • Try out the Zumba Classes that are offered in the Party Barn! • Put on some music and stick with one exercise, such as jumping rope, for the duration of one song. Switch to another activity, such as jumping jacks, for the next song. Check out this playlist of: [|The Best Workout Songs!!]



Starting and sticking with an exercise program is a challenge for many individuals, but by planning ahead and giving consideration to personal needs and preferences, the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle will soon be evident (ASCM). Do it yourself: Walk or jog on the treadmill/elliptical, swim, dance or bike for 30 minutes per day, five days per week. Working out to an exercise DVD can also act as a convenient substitute (ACSM).

Finding time to exercise needs to be a **priority** to be **successful** in achieving a regularly active program. With busy lifestyles already, exercise can get overlooked. To squeeze some extra time in an already hectic day, give some thought to when you want to schedule your exercise between classes and set it in your calendar. Many workplaces have gyms close by for their employees. This makes exercise just before and after school possible. Otherwise, some exercise equipment for use at your dorm may be helpful. You can also incorporate more exercise during your daily routine. Walking more, using stairs, biking to class, and parking a bit further away can help get your heart rate up and burn extra calories on your way to class. Keep track of your exercise using a calendar or log so that you can monitor your consistency and progress. This can be another good motivating factor and reminder to get your daily exercise (ACSM).
 * Fit Exercise in your busy schedule**

Adults need //at least//: -at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week //or// 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise per week (jogging / running / race walking, biking over 10 mph, hiking uphill with a heavy load) (ACSM)
 * How long is enough per week?**

While exercising targeting heart rate or estimating a heart rate is a good way to perceive if goals are being reached during each bout of exercise. (CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The American Council of Exercise (ACE) recommends that... -cardio exercise should be performed at about 50 to 85 percent of a person's maximum effort -cardio exercise 30 minutes or more each day

__What it is:__ Cardio exercise is any exercise that is aerobic and increases your heart rate, according to the Mayo Clinic. The American Heart Association (AHA) explains that cardiovascular exercise involves the steady and repetitive movement of a person's arms and legs. Cardio exercise increases circulation and blood flow throughout the body. There are numerous benefits of cardiovascular exercise (Livestrong). //Check out below how to best recognize://
 * So, whats cardiovascular exercise and why should you do it?**
 * [|What counts as aerobic activity?]**

__Why Do it:__ It is critical to good health -Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading deaths in the the US -CV system also plays an important role in the successful performance in various types of sport and athletic events (ACSM). -It helps to prevent Coronary Artery Disease which can result in a stroke

//What is it?// The use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscle //Why?// There are a plethora of benefits to training regularly (especially at later years in life), it prevents: arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, back pain and even depression. For women the strengthening of bones becomes very important as they age: Post-menopausal women can lose 1-2% of their bone mass annually. No fret, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk for fractures among women aged 50-70.
 * Strength Training:**

Even sleep can improve with strength training! They fall asleep more quickly, sleep more deeply, awaken less often and sleep longer! With strength training one can look forward to a healthy future and constant good night's sleep! (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

Find out "How Many Fruits and Vegetables //You// Need!": [|Fruit and Veggie Count!] [|Food Log]
 * Nutrition:**

Allows one to //lose weight, keep it off while healthily maintaining// a regular lifestyle Reduces risk of //colon// and //breast// //cancer// Research shows that exercise helps treat and prevent more than //40 chronic diseases//, such as //diabetes//, //heart disease//, //obesity// and //high blood pressure//. Individuals who exercise aerobically report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression and lower levels of stress and anger Cardiovascular exercise may also reduce one’s fear of bodily sensations, such as a racing heart and rapid breathing. (ASCM) Improves mental health and mood Exercise prevents obesity, which is a severe epidemic in the culture in the United States of America: The severity of obesity is expressed in the diagram by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The relationship between good exercise and each individual person could result in the change of this reality.
 * Exercise: A true "give and take" relationship:**

Stretching is a powerful part of any exercise program. Most aerobic and strength training programs inherently cause your muscles to contract and flex. Stretching after you exercise promotes equal balance. Stretching also increases flexibility, improves range of motion of your joints and boosts circulation. Stretching can even promote better posture and relieve stress. As a general rule, stretch whenever you exercise. If you don't exercise regularly, you might want to stretch at least three times a week to maintain flexibility. When you're stretching, keep it gentle. Breathe freely as you hold each stretch. Try not to hold your breath. Don't bounce or hold a painful stretch. Expect to feel tension while you're stretching. If you feel pain, you've gone too far. Need more tips on how to make stretching perfect for you? : [|Check this out!]
 * Work yourself hard and then....**[[image:9ca5c2d5b36b94931c905140bc9d19a6_0.jpg width="232" height="186" align="right"]]
 * Stretch it out!**

Related References:

[|American College of Sports Medicine] [|Livestrong] [|Yoga as Exercise] [|Choose My Plate]