Personal Fitness Julie Johnson, LPC

1. Personal Fitness Julie Johnson, LPC

2. Seminar Goals • Understand the physical and mental health benefits of regular exercise and healthy eating • Learn the type and frequency of exercise that will lead to health benefits • Learn weight management techniques and healthy eating guidelines • Identify barriers to success and ways to overcome them • Develop a personal fitness action plan • Know the benefits of your EAP

3. Physical Activity Statistics • Lack of physical activity is a risk factor for heart disease • Up to 12% of deaths in the U.S. (250,000 per year ) are due to a lack of physical activity • Less active people have a 30-50% greater risk of developing high blood pressure • Only 22% of American adults get enough exercise to achieve cardiovascular results • Even low-to-moderate intensity activities can bring benefits American Heart Association

4. Physical Benefits of Exercise • Reduced risk of heart disease • Weight control • Improved cholesterol levels • Increased energy • Prevention of bone loss continued

5. Physical Benefits of Exercise (cont’d) • Improved strength, endurance and flexibility • Diabetes prevention/control • Increased immunity to minor illnesses • Ensures that stored fat is used for energy

6. Emotional Benefits of Exercise • Stress and tension release • Improved self image • Decreased anxiety, depression • Increased enthusiasm and optimism • Increased motivation to make other positive lifestyle changes

7. The Physics of Exercise • Any kind of physical movement requires energy (calories) • The more you move, the more energy you need and the more calories you use • Using more calories than you take in causes weight loss and vice versa • Aerobic exercise uses the most energy • Exercise helps ensure that stored fat, rather than muscle tissue is used to meet energy needs

8. Kinds of Exercise • Aerobic (any exercise that uses the large muscle groups in a continuous, sustained movement) • Muscle strengthening (calisthenics, weights or machines) • Stretching (warm up)

9. How Much Exercise? • At least 20-30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (2 or 3 ten minute sessions are good, too) • At least 3 times a week • Lower intensity activities have benefits, too

10. Overcoming Barriers to Success • Choose something you like • Get a partner, if possible • Exercise shouldn’t hurt • Make it enjoyable • Remember that doing anything is better than nothing • Do a cost/benefit analysis

11. Nutrition Matters • Diet is a significant factor in the risk of coronary heart disease, some cancers, diabetes, and stroke (four of the 10 leading causes of death in U.S.) • Diet is also a contributing factor in the risk for hypertension, osteoporosis, and obesity. • Improving your diet can have a significant impact on your overall health, both short and long term. US Department of Agriculture

12. Weight Management vs. Weight Loss • 1 in 3 Americans are trying to lose weight • Studies have shown that 95% of dieters regain their lost weight • Failures result from a short term focus on weight loss as opposed to lifestyle changes than can be maintained for a lifetime • Weight management focuses on overall physical health, self esteem, and personal control, as opposed to weight loss, which focuses on a number on a scale

13. Weight Management Guidelines • Make health your priority • Focus on healthy eating, not a “diet” • Eating for good health is the same as eating to control weight • Including physical activity is the key to weight management

14. “Yo Yo” Diet Dangers • Weight cycling results from quick fixes, fad diets, gimmicks and/or starvation • Without exercise, the weight that is lost quickly is made up of fat and muscle tissue • When you regain the weight quickly, you regain fat, not muscle. • With less muscle tissue and more fat, our body burns fewer calories, so it gets harder and harder to lose weight

15. What is Your Healthy Weight? • A healthy weight takes your height into consideration, not a dress size. • Actors and models set an unrealistic standard for the average man and woman • What is healthy for you is not necessarily going to reflect what you see in the media • The best way to measure your weight is by calculating your “Body Mass Index” or BMI score

16. Healthy Eating Habits • The Food Pyramid is the best guideline* • Know what a serving size is • If you exercise less than 3x’s a week, adhere to the lowest number of servings on the pyramid • If you exercise 3 times a week, adhere to the mid-range of servings • If you exercise more than 3x’s a week, the higher numbers in the range are okay, if you want to maintain your weight. American Dietetic Association

17. What Worked for Those Who Succeeded… • Choosing low-glycemic foods • Engaging in regular exercise • Not skimping on protein • Avoiding “dense” foods • Having a little fat • Keeping at it Consumer Reports, June 2002

18. Overcoming Weight Management Barriers • Make your goal a healthy weight vs. your “dream” weight • Focus on the health benefits you want • Focus on the emotional benefits you want

19. Benefits of the EAP • Confidential • Prepaid • Available 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week • Appointment Offered Within 48 Hours • Telephonic consultation available • Household Benefit • Child care, elder care, and legal concerns