Making the first move isn’t just about eventually looking good in a smaller size… There is a group of 33 diseases known as “Sedentary Death Syndrome” that cause over 250,000 deaths each year, but whose severity is diminished by simply doing 30 minutes of exercise per day. So, that means, making a move can save your life!
Chapter 6 of Guide to THRIVE focuses us on MOVE-ing, by introducing the Total Body THRIVE exercises, exercises that maximize performance and minimize injury in every part of your body. These TBT exercises are quick exercises that make exercising fun, but also intense! The Total Body THRIVE exercises are designed to work our muscles in coordination with each other and you can do TBT exercises anywhere. Don’t just think gym—you can do these in your living room, no heavy equipment required!
Some great exercise tips to remember when doing the TBT exercises are:
• Engage your Core-These are the muscles right in the middle of our bodies. These three sheets of muscles wrap like a belt around the core and connect the spine to the belly. These muscles allow you to bend, twist, pull and push. To engage your core, place both hand on the sides of your body at the level of your navel and bear down like someone is about to punch you in the stomach. You should feel your muscles tighten. That is what you want to feel when exercising!
• Breathe-We do it all of the time, but often, people hold their breath while exercising or breathe so inefficiently, that it causes them more work! You should breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth in a long, controlled flow. When you are exerting, you should be breathing out and when you are relaxing breathe in!
• Shoulders Over Elbows- Our shoulders were designed to allow extreme motion in multiple directions, but not for bearing weight. To prevent injury, when doing exercises like the plank (where we place weight on our shoulders) make sure your shoulders are lined up directly over your elbows and your hands.
• Knees Over Ankles-Making sure that your keens are directly over your ankles when exercising will minimize stress places across the front of your kneecap and puts your leg in a more mechanically stable position. (You can check your stance in a mirror if you need to!)
The second part of making a move is taking action with what you eat. It is easy to become overwhelmed with all of the advice on what and how to eat, but the easiest way to start eating better is to start by focusing on what you are eating and how much. Simply put, this means portion control. Luckily, the 500 rule makes eating better a little easier.
In order to lose one pound, you must burn 3500 calories, which means burning 500 more calories than you consume in one day. Do that seven days in a row, and you will lose one pound! By decreasing your food intake and increasing your energy output (exercise) you create a fantastic fat-burning combination!
Not recognizing ourselves in the mirror happens gradually, when we just aren’t paying attention. By making a move and taking action with what we eat, we can avoid the pain and suffering of Sedentary Death Syndrome. We can save our own lives, and start to recognize ourselves in the mirror again!
Check out Chapter 6 of Guide to THRIVE: Make the First Move, for all of the Total Body THRIVE exercises, and a ton of information on MOVE-ing and EAT-ing!
