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    Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.

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  • Dec. 9, 2008

    Help for the couch potato

    By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.

8 comments posted

This is the last of 4 blogs that describe the new approach to battle obesity.  The theme is that weight control is much more than "eating less and exercising more."

It involves changing small but important eating, coping and exercise patterns. Thus far we've explored ways for you to get a handle on eating patterns and coping behaviors that lessen impulsive eating. Now we'll look at those activity patterns that keep you from moving more and losing those unwanted pounds — specifically ways to "get off the couch." 

Couch potatoes — do the following sound familiar?

"[I'm a] couch potato due somewhat to laziness and partly due to an inability to walk very far due to knee and back problems."

"I have a demanding full-time job. By the time I get home I just want to plop on the couch. I love to walk but can't in the mornings and am so tired in the evenings. Occasionally I walk at lunch.... Guess I should just suck up and do it."

"I hate exercise — so I do none. I do skip meals, probably because I feel guilty not doing exercises. I know better, right?"

Couch potatoes — if anyone tells you to exercise more, will you?  Not! Any health care provider who says to do so will turn you off.

It's important to recognize that the problem is not only the couch. Your entire lifestyle is sedentary. You sit for a living, you drive to work, you have a desk job, for fun you might read, play computer games or go to a movie. Someone else may clean your house and even mow your lawn. You might even have a dog that struggles with weight — right?

It's also important for you and your health care provider to recognize that you are not lazy. You have many demands on your time, and you may be tired. You may even have a medical condition that makes you wonder if exercise is safe — knee and back problems, lung and heart disease or high blood pressure. What to do? Here are four strategies that have been shown to help.

  • Discuss your health worries. Your health care provider can reassure you by setting realistic and safe goals. There is a difference between exercise and physical activity. Exercise is planned and structured (like going to the gym) whereas physical activity is any movement. However, both types can improve fitness, strength and flexibility while decreasing body fat. Both also pep you up. You don't need to sweat hard in order to reap the benefits physically and emotionally.
  • Move. The American Heart Association and American college of Sports Medicine recommends moderately-intense physical activity for 30 minutes a day, 5 days each week. The key words are physical activity (any movement) and moderately intense (enough to get your heart beating more, get a little sweaty, yet you still should be able to talk without gasping). Brisk walking fits this description perfectly. What's great about this is that you can spread your 30 minutes of physical activity throughout your day. For every hour you sit at your desk, get up and walk. Stand and pace while on the phone. Go talk to your colleague — we all get too much e-mail right? Clean-up your own kitchen, mow your lawn, and rediscover how much you and the dog love to walk together.
  • Journal your activity. Jot down your "extra" movements. It's rewarding to see improvements. One of the most effective gadgets made to help measure progress is the pedometer. It keeps track of your steps. Get your baseline, and realistically increase the number of steps you take weekly. A weekly increase between 250 to 500 steps works for most people. The ultimate long term goal for everyone — including couch potatoes — is 10,000 steps a day.
  • Get a buddy. Social support increases the chance that you will become and remain more physically active in the long run. It helps some people by promoting accountability, and it makes it more enjoyable. Remember, even your dog can be your buddy — those eyes will light up when you reach for the leash.

Which one of the four suggestions above do you think you can try? I'll watch for your responses. (Please stand at your keyboard while making them).

Remember — all activity counts. Aim for 30 minutes or more daily — even in shorter bursts.  Ready? Set? Move!

- Jennifer

8 comments posted

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  • December 31, 2008 11:39 p.m.

    I am considering the tip regarding journaling my physical activity and food intake as I begin taking steps to losing weight this year. I am looking forward to setting goals, taking small steps and moving towards better health one step at a time.

    - Nita

  • December 19, 2008 3:36 p.m.

    Give me your children of North America right there in the time, place, and space of their classrooms. I will put legs under them of such proportions it will remove the word exercise out of any and all dialog [Re as in" proper diet and exercise"] when it comes to advising human beings in the prevention of obesity. A program that any father would be willing to contribute to, in the forestalling of the suffering his children are subjected to in following the status quo of the past decades.

    - John Gibson

  • December 17, 2008 6:59 a.m.

    Study your body. Feel it. Tighten and loosen parts as you think of them. Wherever. Whenever. Push against objects when standing - usng any limb, any part of the limb, your buttocks - any part of your body that is accessible and has energy. You'll discover more and more of your body and more ways to tighten, press, release. Try it. It's perfect for couch potatoes. It can even be done on the couch (try squeezing together the insides of your thighs, for example.

    - faith

  • December 12, 2008 4:47 p.m.

    I have a lady working with me on strength training who is in a wheel chair. You need to start where you are and improve that. The lady has improved so much that she took training and is now teaching a strength-training class. She also works out in the pool and has lost over 100 pounds with healthy eating and exercise to feel much better.

    - Chris

  • December 10, 2008 3:33 p.m.

    Re couch potato. You cannot expect human beings to do one thing, like be physically active, when in there daily place of learning and work place, are deleteriously destroying and atrophying the very wherewithal, required to be phisically active, or even move. This is exactly what contributes to obesity.Re consumption, and proper expenditure.

    - John Gibson

  • December 10, 2008 9:32 a.m.

    Janni - You are right. There are some people who cannot exercise because of chronic debilitating disease, injury, or pain. However, even in these states, professional help is available and tailored to address each of these individual limitations. The goal is to prevent further decline whenever possible. For some, it may mean guidance for safe stretching in order to maintain flexibility. For others it might mean guidance for safely maintaining muscle mass "isometrically" (contracting muscles). For others it may include pain control in addition to both of the above. In addition to eating a healthy diet, addressing physical activity at very low, comfortable - and safe levels - can be of great benefit.

    - - Jennifer, your blog host

  • December 9, 2008 6:38 p.m.

    I agree that movement is key, but with my sciatica it makes it difficult to even walk sometimes. I was real down about the way I looked . Luckily my sister turned me on to this great corrective belt by fitandsharp.com which actually tones your problem areas while you wear it. In a month I was seeing results. Don't get me wrong, I do watch my carbs because sometimes I can't exercise. The belt has helped me so much and I really recommend it for those who just don't have the time or can't exercise as often as they need to for whatever the reason. Hope this helps.

    - betty_penn

  • December 9, 2008 1:27 p.m.

    i wish you medicos would realize there ARE some people who CANNOT exercise--movement is painful for us; i cannot even stand at the computer to write this e-mail; typing is painful too! pain medication makes zombies of us. i want movement that is NOT painful or exhausting. do not judge unless you have [sat] in our wheelchairs and have upper body strength.

    - janni stewart

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