It's Not What You Know, It's What You Do
Connie Tyne

With age comes wisdom and by the time we cross the half-century mark, most of us feel wise beyond our years. I’ve been known to say, “If I’d known then what I know now, I would have done things differently.” I like to believe that’s true but in all honesty, I can’t be sure.

Even today, I sometimes find it difficult to do what is good for me. I must not be alone. My guess is that most adults in the United States would correctly answer the following question:

The best way to assure you have a long and healthy life is:

A) Avoid tobacco
B) Stay active
C) Maintain a healthy body weight
D) All of the above

Most of us know that smokers have a 70 percent greater change of dying from heart disease. Yet cigarette smoking is prevalent enough that 400,000 people each year die from related causes. (National Tobacco Policy, Senate Report 105, 1998)

Physical activity reports from a survey conducted by the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association found that 60 percent of adults don’t get enough exercise to benefit their health or control their weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can only find 26 percent of us who exercise the recommended 30 minutes most days of the week.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (Feb. 27, 2002) confirmed that more than 56 percent of adults are overweight and half of these are obese. The authors cited a dangerous trend that shows these percentages increasing each year. They went on to say “middle-aged Americans have a 90 percent chance of developing high blood pressure.”

You may be seeing this in your own circle of friends so I probably am not telling you anything new.

The question then becomes, why is there a "disconnect" between what we know and what we do? I believe one reason is an exaggerated idea of the difficulty of changing habits. None of us rush into a negative experience. In fact, we protect ourselves from it. Many people associate pain and deprivation with exercise and weight-loss programs, and those are two conditions to avoid at all costs! After all, haven't we earned the right to feel as good as possible?

That is just the point. We really want to feel good. Or better yet, feel great. We search the shelves of the health food stores for products to boost our energy, increase stamina, and slow down aging. Sadly, it is not yet available in a pill or a bottle, but it's well within your reach. I hope to show you that it's easier than you think.

Let's begin with the evidence and increase what you know. Then we'll move on to what you need to do.

First, you do not have to move from inactive to athletic to reap enormous benefits. A landmark study conducted at The Cooper Institute and published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 1989 (Volume 262) reported on an eight-year study of almost 14,000 men and women. Each person’s fitness level was determined by the number of minutes they could perform on a treadmill stress test. The 20 percent of people who performed the shortest amount of time were placed in the poor fitness category. The remaining categories (each representing 20 percent) were labeled fair, good, excellent, and superior.

Researchers expected the people in the poor fitness group to have the highest death rate while the superior fitness group was expected to have the lowest. That was true. The excellent and superior groups enjoyed a 65 percent decrease in death from all causes (heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc.) It was expected that a stair-step decrease would show a gradual improvement in health as people became more fit. That wasnot true.

The biggest health benefit came from moving from the poor fitness group in the lowest 20 percentile to the fair fitness group positioned right next to them. That small move provided a 58 percent decrease in the death rate! That's enough for me. The effort it takes to become an athlete (which I never was) does not show me the same excellent return on my investment as the shift from "moving as little as possible" to becoming "moderately active." The fair category is easily within reach no matter what your age.

The next burning question becomes "what does it take to get into the fair category?” Here's the goal you will gradually work toward if walking is your exercise method of choice:

2 miles in less than 30 minutes 3 times a week, or
2 miles in less than 35 minutes 4 times a week, or
2 miles in less than 40 minutes 5 times a week, or
2 aerobics classes of 45 minutes each 2 times a week.

You may have noticed a trend I should explain. Aerobic exercise is prescribed by using the F.I.T. principle: F=frequency; I=intensity; T=time. The most important component in your program is frequency. Regular physical activity, even at low levels of five to 10 minutes each, help to increase stamina, improve fitness, burn calories, and, most importantly, create a new habit.

As the intensity of your workout increases (you are walking at a faster pace), your total exercise time can decrease. When beginning a program, I would encourage you to walk at a comfortable pace until you feel tired. Don't concern yourself with time and distance until you build up your stamina to 30 minutes and begin to experience walking as a pleasurable part of your day.

You'll soon find that exercise creates more energy than it uses. Think of the battery in your car. When it needs recharging you don't give it a rest. You go out for a nice drive and it recharges itself. Your energy is replenished in much the same way.

This article began with concerns about smoking, inactivity, and weight and so far I have talked only about exercise. The reason is simple. The best way to kick the smoking habit is to exercise. The best way to accelerate weight loss or maintain a healthy weight is to exercise. It is regular moderate exercise that is cited repeatedly as the key to lowering risks for heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, and almost any conditions you want to avoid.

If you prefer to focus on the positive, regular moderate exercise will increase your energy and stamina, reshape your body, slow the aging process, and improve everything from your mood to your sexuality.

Move away from the "diet" model that suggests drastic changes and extreme exercise routines that can't be sustained. At Cooper Wellness Program we see compelling evidence every day that small changes people sustain over a long period of time produce spectacular results - painlessly. Creating a habit of exercise may be the most important half hour in your day because it will affect every part of your life.

Perhaps true wisdom is applied knowledge. Match your behaviors with your beliefs and commit yourself to living a healthy, active lifestyle. It can surely buy some extra time, and more importantly it will give you the quality of life you treasure even more than years.

Connie Tyne, L.M.S.W., is executive director of Cooper Wellness Program. During the 4, 6, or 13-day medically-based lifestyle enhancement programs participants learn the tools necessary to improve fitness levels, eat nutritionally, lose weight, and reduce stress. For more information, call 800-444-5192 or visit www.cooperaerobics.com.

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