Don't EXCUSE-erize!

My friend Joan nudged me back to a Weight Watchers meeting this morning; I am grateful she accompanied me and got me there! (Unfortunately, she left her car parked in front of my house, and got a parking ticket for it pointing in the wrong directions. UH-OH)

Today's meeting subject was entitled "ON YOUR FEET"--about getting up and sitting less. The observation that we often assume that one period of exercise a day means the rest of the time can be spent sitting at a computer, at a desk, in front of a tv set, reading a book. . . . .hit me squarely, as I think that way.

A young man who had lost 83 pounds in the past year shared how he tells himself not to excuse-erize about exercise!

I was struck by the statistics that Weight Watchers compiled in their little handout:

• "Women who sit for six or more hourse a day have a 37% higher risk for early death (men have a 20% higher risk) than those who sit less, regardless of how often they exercise, according to a study from the American Cancer Society.
  

• "Here's what happens when you hit the seat: Electrical activity in the legs slows; calorie burn drops to one per minute; and enzymes that help dissolve fat drop by 90%.

• "After two hours: Good cholesterol (HDL) drops 20%; insulin resistance drops 24%, and risk of diabetes rises."

For a long time, I mistakenly assumed that I was in better health than my husband, just because I am a woman. Now I see that it is MUCH worse for me to be sitting around than it is for him! What a wake up call!

And from here is more to spur me on to move more than my YWCA swim classes, which I do at least four times a week:

"Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for your car. You don't have to do it, but your car will definitely run better." Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. "And the benefits kick in immediately after your first workout," Olshansky adds. Don't worry if you're not a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing nothing to simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day.