Stay Active
Watch Our Family Fitness, Beginner and Intermediate Exercise Videos
Staying active is patriotic. Stress is weakening our country and our society. Exercise has been proven in countless research studies to help us cope with stress and improve our daily lives. In a six-year study of more than 46,000 workers, depression and unmanaged stress emerged as the costliest risk factors in terms of medical expenditures. And, according to the American Institute of Stress, 75 to 90 percent of all doctor visits are stress-related. Stress causes adrenaline to pour into the blood stream as part of our “fight or flight” response and muscles throughout the body tense in anticipation of a challenge. In primitive times, we would outrun the bear when experiencing this stress. However, today we experience stress differently and many of us don’t have regular physical releases for our stress. We all have experienced the ravages of stress on our well-being. We can not eliminate stress from our daily lives completely.
The good news is that play, movement, and exercise have been proven to improve energy, mood, and benefit the nervous and immune systems. Of course, we can also experience improvements in overall health from cardiovascular conditioning, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and balance. “Regular physical activity can help counter the potentially damaging effects of stress on the body and may help prevent stress-related illnesses,” says John McCarthy, executive director of the International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). “These activities provide a natural way to release tension in the body and will often lead to an automatic state of relaxation that naturally follows a good workout.”
Most of us already know the physical benefits of exercise, and still some of us choose not to move our bodies on a regular basis. Understanding that the health, confidence, enthusiasm, and innovation we gain from movement is not only for our personal good, but for the greater good, may be just the inspiration we need to get out butts off the couch. Considering the sacrifices some Americans are making, 5 minutes a day of movement seems like an easy thing to do. Strong citizens create a strong democracy.
Here are some ways you can get moving for 5 minutes now:
Please always check with your doctor before starting any exercise program. Use common sense, listen to how your body feels and honor that.
- Go for a walk
- Play outside with your child(ren) or pet
- Play hide and seek or tag with your kids
- Throw a ball for your dog
- Walk up and down your stairs
- Vacuum, sweep, shovel snow, or rake leaves
- Walk down to get the mail (or any other nearby errand) instead of driving
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If you would like to learn more about how exercise can change your life and make you stronger, please visit our research section.
Exercises Disclaimer:
The exercises provided on this website are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and are not to be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific treatment plan, product, or course of action. Exercise is not without its risks, and this or any other exercise program may result in injury. They include but are not limited to: risk of injury, aggravation of a pre-existing condition, or adverse effect of over-exertion such as muscle strain, abnormal blood pressure, fainting, disorders of heartbeat, and very rare instances of heart attack. To reduce the risk of injury, before beginning this or any exercise program, please consult a healthcare provider for appropriate exercise prescription and safety precautions. The exercise instruction and advice presented are in no way intended as a substitute for medical consultation. We disclaim any liability from and in connection with this program. As with any exercise program, if at any point during your workout you begin to feel faint, dizzy, or have physical discomfort, you should stop immediately and consult a physician.
