Oh my gosh, I can’t believe this is available. A pill that increases your activity and improves your fitness while you sleep! All you need to do is take one of these pills with a glass of water before going to bed and your health and fitness is GUARANTEED TO INCREASE. Well, I might as well shut down this site because my work here is done.

The Truth

Obviously, this is a (very) lame attempt by me at an April Fool’s joke. Unfortunately, we often look for the quick fix. I think it’s just human nature. The truth is, that in order to improve your life through increased activity you actually need to get active. But, getting active doesn’t have to be hard, even small changes can have a big impact. And, you can have a positive impact on your health by increasing activity at any age, as this article from Reuters indicates. The most interesting quote from this article is:

“There is really only 1 or 2 percent of the population that cannot exercise in some capacity to improve well being,” Miller said. “Most just need guidance on what type of exercise is best for them.”

What this means is that, basically, most of us really don’t have an excuse for not exercising. Another section of the article says:

…Almost anyone can do some form of exercise and reap the benefits, which in the immediate-term include relaxation, stress and anxiety reduction, and enhanced mood. Long-term benefits of exercise, in addition to weight loss, are increased strength and balance, and improvement in chronic ailments, including improved mental health, a sense of belonging, increased life span and overall quality of life.

There you have it, more proof that activity is good for you :-)
Do What You Can

Don’t make an April Fool’s joke out of your life, do what you can to make it as enjoyable and vibrant as possible. Find a way to increase the amount of activity in your everyday activities. I had an earlier post addressing easy ways to get more exercise. There are many other ways, you just need to be a little creative.

What have you done to increase your activity or healthy eating so far this year and how has it helped?
Creative Commons License photo credit: monsieurlam