HealthyLife Articles

Category: Fitness

When To Eat If You’re Going To Exercise

Fitness

Is it better to exercise and then eat, or eat and then exercise? Follow these guidelines.

* Don’t eat much right before a workout, because your body will divert blood to your muscles and away from your digestive organs, disrupting the process of digestion. In general, eat a light meal about 60 to 90 minutes before your workout.

* Always eat breakfast. If you exercise before breakfast, you may reduce fatigue if you eat a small amount of food-like a small glass of juice or a piece of toast-15 or 20 minutes before you work out.

* If you exercise before dinner or late in the day, make breakfast and lunch your main meals. To boost energy levels, have a late-afternoon snack.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Benefits Of Stretching

BE FIT

When most people think of exercise they envision cardio or weight training. But, no workout routine is complete without stretching. Here are six unique benefits.

Improve flexibility

Flexibility is a well-known benefit of stretching. To increase your range of motion, hold each stretch for 90 seconds.

Prevent injury

Stretching increases blood flow to joints and muscles, decreasing stiffness and reducing the risk of injury.

Decrease tension

Stretching releases tension in your muscles, but it can also release mental tension if you take time to be still and breathe.

Calm the mind

Unlike vigorous exercise which pumps you up, the slow pace of stretching can be soothing for your mind.

Counteract the effects of sitting

If you are one of the many people who spend a lot of time sitting, stretching is essential to keep the body limber.

Promotes mindfulness

Stretching provides the chance to notice how your body feels, an essential aspect of mindfulness.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Exercising When The Days Are Short

BE FIT

December 21 marks the shortest day of the year. If you exercise outdoors, you may find yourself in the dark. Keep these things in mind if you go out at dawn or dusk:

* Wear reflective gear and bright colors. Also consider taking a head lamp or flashlight. You want to be as visible as possible and have your own light source to see.

* Don’t use headphones. You’ll want your hearing to be sharp when visibility is low.

* Go against the flow if you’re walking. Always walk against the flow of traffic. But, if you’re biking, go in the same direction of traffic.

* Take a friend if you can. They can keep you motivated and offer extra safety.

Source: Department of Health and Human Services

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Start Running

BE FIT

Running is a great form of exercise. It gets your heart rate up, builds endurance, and releases stress. But, running is also high-impact and should be approached with caution. Here’s how to get started safely:

1. Check with your doctor to make sure running is right for you.

2. Invest in comfortable footwear that provides cushion and support.

3. Stretch and strengthen your feet to prepare them for impact.

4. Begin with a walk-run program that gradually builds endurance.

5. Take it slow! If you haven’t run in a while, assume your body needs time to adapt.

6. Don’t push through pain. A little twinge may become an injury if you run through it.

7. Cross-train with exercises that build strength and flexibility like weight training, yoga, and stretching.

8. Hydrate and fuel well before, during, and after you run.

9. Give your body plenty of rest between runs to avoid overtraining.

10. Listen to music or find a running partner to make your runs more enjoyable.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
5 Reasons To Be Active

Fitness

1. Physical health: Regular physical activity lowers your risk of many chronic diseases.

2. Mental health: Doing aerobic or a mix of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities 3 to 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes can:

– Lower your risk of depression and help treat it

– Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age

3. Social health: Exercise with others to be social and build healthy relationships.

4. Spiritual health: Yoga and tai chi help promote a sense of inner peace and connection to your environment.

5. Fiscal health: Build a stronger immune system to avoid the medical costs of getting sick and having to take time off from work.

Take Action: Be Active Weekly Guidelines

1. Do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walkingOR

2. 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity, such as joggingAND

3. Muscle strengthening exercises using all major muscle groups on 2 or more days.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Find The Fun In Fitness

Fitness

Chances are if you enjoy the physical activities you do, you will do them more often.

* Do activities you had fun with in your youth. Did you like to swim? Play soccer? Hula hoop? Jump rope? Play hopscotch? Do these with your kids and grandkids. Do them on your own.

* Get fit with a friend or family member. Walk together. Take a yoga class together.

* Join a dance or other class or sports team. People count on you to show up.

* Take part in an awareness event, such as Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure™!

* Walk the dog! If you don’t have one, walk with your neighbor when he or she walks the dog.

* Work outdoors doing activities you enjoy. Garden. Wash the car.

* Walk or pedal indoors while you watch your favorite TV show.

* For birthdays or special rewards, ask for gifts that will help make it fun for you to exercise, such as new workout clothes.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Ready, Set, Goal

Fitness

Set short-term & long-term fitness goals.

If you haven’t exercised for years, the odds that you will run a marathon soon are against you. Not that you can’t do it, if you start training now. However, a better motivator might be to set short-term goals that allow you to build up strength and endurance to get what you ultimately want.

Ready

Just saying you want to exercise more isn’t enough. Be specific about how much exercise you want to do, how much time you plan to spend on it, and how you will measure your results.

Set

Set a specific long-term goal. For example, “Within six months, I want to compete in a 15-mile walk,” or “In three months, I will be able to walk for 60 minutes a day, six times a week.”

Next, set the short-term goals that will get you there. For example, walk 15 minutes a day, three times a week, for two weeks. Then increase your walking times and the number of days you walk until you reach your goal.

Goal

Before you know it, you’ll feel proud that you reached your short-term goal. And you’ll feel better and have more energy!

Use SMART tips for setting goals

* Specific – Know what, why, and how you are going to accomplish your goals.

* Measurable – What tools will you use to measure your successes? Inches lost? Better stamina?

* Attainable – Choose goals within your reach. Setting sights too high can become discouraging.

* Realistic – Do you have the skills, the ability and an OK from your doctor to reach these goals?

* Timely – Set a timeframe for each goal. Some you can achieve in two days. Others will take two weeks or two months.

Action Step

As you meet your short-term goals, reward yourself with anything that promotes your progress, such as a new pair of shoes.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Working In Exercise While At Work

Fitness

Move more, even when you sit.

Chances are you don’t have one of those newfangled treadmill desks in your office. That shouldn’t stop you from adding exercise into your work schedule. If you get breaks, use them to march up and down the stairs or walk around the building a few times. Or, go into an empty conference room and pound out some pushups. While you probably won’t get enough of a workout for one day’s needs, short stints of exercise add up.

Don’t just stand there.

Waiting for the coffee to brew? Burst into a 60-second aerobic routine that includes side stepping or marching in place. Or, squat and stand as the copy machine spits out your papers. And, perhaps just to freak out co-workers, strike a warrior pose in the break room. See if you can hold it for a minute without talking (or laughing).

Do sitting-down-on-the-job exercises.

From a seated position, you can:

* Tighten your abs and buttocks with periodic squeezes.

* Push shoulder blades toward each other and hold to stretch your back.

* Stretch both arms over your head. Reach, reach, reach.

* Extend your legs in front of you and hold.

* Extend your legs, than draw your knees to your chest. Repeat and feel the burn in your abs.

* Turn your head to the left, torso to the right, hold. Repeat on the other side.

* Extend your arms straight out and move them slowly around in smaller to larger circles, forward then backward.

* Place both hands on your chair arms and slowly lift your bottom.

Action Step

Put a sticky note in your workspace that reminds you to stretch, bend, and move throughout your workday. Use exercise options offered to you at work.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Bike Safety

BE FIT

Bike sales have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bicycling is great exercise! However, it’s important to keep yourself safe while on two wheels. Collisions can and do occur, and some can be serious.

To minimize your risk of injury while riding a bicycle:

*Wear a helmet.Studies show that a helmet lowers your risk of serious head and brain injuries by 85%. Make sure it is snug on your head. It should have a chin strap that stays in place.

*Ride right.Use the right shoulder of the road and follow traffic signs and signals. Signal your turns with your arm so drivers know what you’re doing.

*Use a bike lane if there is one.If not, try to choose wide roads with less traffic and lower speed limits. When a lane is too narrow for a car and bike to safely ride side by side, you will need to ride toward the middle of the road.

*Be aware.Sometimes drivers don’t see you. Be careful at intersections and when riding next to parked cars and in parking lots.

*Don’t use headphones.It’s important to be able to hear cars coming from behind you so you can react safely and move over if needed.

*Wear bright colors and use reflectors.This will make it easier for drivers to see you.

*Don’t ride.It is dangerous to cycle if you’ve been drinking alcohol or using drugs.

*Cover your toes.Don’t wear sandals or flip flops while riding.

*Bring water.Most bikes have a water bottle holder. Drink often to avoid dehydration, especially on longer rides.

*Keep kids safe.Children should not ride on roads with traffic. Keep young bike riders in areas that are away from cars.

Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Find The Energy To Exercise

BE FIT

Too tired to work out? Try these tips to boost energy and get moving.

1. Move around. At work, try to switch between sitting and standing. Doing too much of one or the other may leave you feeling drained.

2. Sip lots of water. Starting in the morning, drink water and keep drinking it throughout the day. This can keep energy levels from sinking in the afternoon.

3. Eat healthy carbs. Choose whole grains, fruits and vegetables, such as carrots.

4. Watch your breathing. Slow, deep breaths can relax and energize you throughout the day.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026