42 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • APRIL 5, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
Fitness is central to your well-being and
ability to enjoy life to the fullest, however
it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. How
do you find new interest and motivation
so you’re ready to maximize the warm
weather months?
Dan Gaz, physical activity and assessment
program manager at the Mayo
Clinic Healthy Living Program, says there
are many things people can do to get a
jump-start on their health and wellness.
“Fitness doesn’t have to be complicated
or boring,” says Gaz. “There are many
creative ways to implement fitness activities
into your life that are both fun and
invigorating.”
Gaz suggests five simple ways to get a
jump-start on summer fitness and energize
your workout routine:
Try something new
Gaz says getting outside your comfort
zone can be beneficial to your health.
5 simple
ways to
jump-start
“Trying something new helps keep your
fitness plan fresh. Plan a visit to the local
farmers market to pick up produce. Sign
up for a 5k run, or look at your local community
education or rec center class catalog
and sign up for activities. The social
dynamics of these types of events benefit
mental as well as physical health.”
Get outside
“Getting outdoors is rejuvenating,” Gaz
says. “Taking a walk in nature is a nice
change of pace that is good for the body
and mind.” You can go for a walk, run
or take a stroll around a local park. “Just
being outdoors shakes things up and you
may find higher levels of energy as you
breathe in the fresh air. Plus, getting a
daily dose of vitamin D from the sun does
the body good.”
Bring friends
“It’s no secret when you work out
fitness
goals
with other people they tend to hold
you accountable, but there’s also
more benefit than just that,” says Gaz.
“When you take an exercise class, join
a running club or biking group, you
may end up pushing yourself harder.
The people next to you become
your exercise advocates and suddenly,
you’ll have the desire to keep up and
do more. This can accelerate reaching
your fitness goals.”
Rethink commuting
“Anything you can do to break up the
monotony of sitting is a good thing.” Try
being creative in commuting and how
you travel throughout the day. “If possible,
walk or bike to work or the grocery
store. You can also take the bus, get off a
couple blocks early and walk the rest of
the way. A little planning ahead of time
can help you accomplish multiple things
at once: You’re getting exercise, completing
an errand and reducing your carbon
footprint.”
Be purposeful
“You may only have a few minutes a day
to dedicate to exercise, but that doesn’t
mean you can’t make a big impact,” says
Gaz. “Being purposeful with your choices
is important. For example, use intervals
in your workout routine to maximize
outcomes. If you enjoy walking, do a brisk
30 or 60 seconds, then walk slower for the
same period of time before pushing yourself
again. This type of interval training is
simple, yet highly effective. It works similarly
for other activities like swimming,
biking and running.”
To find more tips about improving
your health with creative approaches to
exercise or to set up a visit with a wellness
expert, visit healthyliving.mayoclinic.
org.
Courtesy BPT