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Health & Fitness

Your Commute is Making You Fat

As a society, we spend way too much time in our cars and sitting down. And it has impacted our health. It's time for a change.

Did you know that your daily commute could impact your health? That’s the message of a University of Illinois study that links frequent car use with the climbing obesity rates in this country.

There is no doubt that we are a car-centric society. We drive everywhere, even distances that could be easily reached by walking. That’s just part of our lifestyle.

What makes the problem even worse is that too many people pick up a meal at a fast food drive-thru, and eat it while they drive.

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They’re eating a high-calorie meal while sitting in the car. Not only that, but we have become a society that also banks and picks up our prescriptions at a drive-thru window, which means we hardly ever get out of the vehicle and walk anywhere. The end result being we don’t burn all these calories we take in. This behavior ultimately leads to obesity.

Not surprisingly, the United States has the highest number of obese people in the world. Currently, one in three Americans suffers from obesity (defined as 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight).

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Obesity is dangerous because it can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many other serious health conditions. Of course, the car alone cannot be blamed for these alarming statistics. There are other contributing factors at play, such as overly poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle.

For those of you who spend hours every day driving — or sitting anywhere without much movement — it is crucial to pack in a heart-pumping, calorie-burning workout into their schedule.

To stay healthy and fit, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 30 minutes of moderately intensive activity five days a week, as well as muscle-strengthening exercises at least twice a week. Unfortunately, studies show that as many as 60 percent of Americans don’t get the recommended amount of physical activity, and over 25 percent are not active at all.

How do you integrate exercise into your busy schedule?

I make a living helping others achieve this. But outside of hiring a trainer, here are some suggestions you can incorporate on your own:

Use your feet: Instead of driving, walk (or cycle) to your destination and back. It doesn't have to always be a mile hike either. How many of you frequently aim for the closest parking spot? Well don't! Park further away and walk. And stay away form drive-thrus!!! The key is moving fasting enough to get your heart rate up. If you choose walking any sort of distance, remember such common-sense precautions as low-heel, flexible-sole, well-fitting shoes.

Compound exercises are time-efficient muscle builders that work several muscle groups at one time. One example is a squat, which works many muscles in the lower body and core. You can incorporate all sorts of exercise without any equipment at all (push-ups, lunges, planks, etc). Any fitness professional can show you an array of effective, yet time-saving moves. For more tips, visit my website.

The important thing is to change your sedentary habits into an active lifestyle. And that is one piece of advice you should not take sitting down!

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