Be Active Your Way!

Staying active is a key way to stay healthy and energized. But what if going to the gym isn’t your thing? Sitting too long is said to be as bad for you as smoking. What if your job requires you to sit? The good news is you can be active your way and still be healthy.

Move a little, more often
Do you have some flexibility in what you do during the day? A good approach to moving more could be to add a little activity throughout your day. Take short walks a few times each day. Get up and do some quick exercises every hour. The key is to avoid sitting for long periods of time. If you need a reminder, consider setting an alarm or a pop up on your computer.

Move a lot, less often
Sitting is bad, but your job doesn’t allow enough flexibility to avoid it – what do you do? A recent review suggests that you can reverse the down side of all that sitting with an hour or more of moderate exercise each day. Moderate means it will be an actual workout with sweat. Think of a jog instead of a leisurely walk. The only exception is for TV watching. If you spend a lot of time sitting in front of a TV (more than 5 hours a day), exercise won’t help enough to see health benefits.

Bottom Line
Don’t worry if the latest recommendation around exercise doesn’t work for you. The key is to move more. If the gym works for you, great! If a treadmill desk is your thing, go for it. Not sure if you are moving enough? Consider tracking it with an app, wearable or both.

RESOURCE:1. Ek elund, Ulf et al. Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women. The Lancet , Volume 388 , Issue 10051 , 1302 – 1310

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD.
January 2017

Comments

SNOW DAY! And 4 Snowy Food Facts

Hello Huskies! Hope you've been staying safe and warm while enjoying your snow day. Changes to our hours of operation are being posted to our website as well as our Twitter and Facebook pages so be sure to check those out for updates throughout this snowy Tuesday. With the serious info out of the way, we're here to have some fun too. In between Netflix binge-watching sessions, how about some interesting snow-related food facts? 1. Hostess Sno Balls are actually upside-down Hostess CupCakes You know them as those pink or white shredded coconut and marshmallow delicacies, but since the 1950s, the inner cakes have been manufactured exactly the same way as their chocolate icing-covered CupCake counterparts. 1 2. Canada is much more than snow Our snowy neighbor to the north is actually the 5th largest agricultural exporter in the world. Canada also produces 85% of the world's maple syrup so whether you enjoy it on French toast at brunch or spaghetti during Christmas, there...

Healthy Alternatives While Celebrating Culinary Diversity

with campus executive chef Tom Barton Our latest Menus of Change principle is "Celebrating Cultural Diversity and Discovery" and over the next few weeks our residential dining halls will be featuring menu items that celebrate the cultural diversity of our associates. As I was reviewing recipes in preparation for these events at both International Village and Stetson, it occurred to me that some of the ingredients in the traditional recipes could be swapped out for healthier alternatives while also remaining faithful to tradition. Here are some examples of ways to make recipes even a little bit healthier (which means you can enjoy them even more often!): Instead of using butter why not use a fat free margarine? Canola, safflower or olive oils could also be substituted Rather than using whole milk try a skim, evaporated skim or even plain nonfat yogurt can be used Instead of using whole milk cheeses, look for ones that are made with part skim Low fat or fat free sour cream can ...

Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions

With assistance from Northeastern graduate student Melissa Pryputniewicz A new year brings the hope and promise of new starts. This makes it the perfect time for people to make resolutions to change certain behaviors. But even with good intentions many people don’t succeed in keeping their resolutions. A study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that only half of the people who made a resolution stuck with it after six months. So you may be asking, what are the keys to success? Calvin and Hobbes , Bill Waterson Make Resolutions Realistic and Specific Many people make big resolutions like "I want to lose weight," or "I want to eat healthier." While these goals highlight positive changes, they are not very specific. Instead trying reframing your goals into more specific terms. Not only will this help you measure when you have achieved a goal, but it also gives you a clear plan of action for starting to work on the resolution. Break Big Goals Into Smaller Ones ...

Choosing Healthy Foods

Search This Blog