July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Fitness director: Make lifestyle changes (01/20/06)
Letters to the Editor
To the editor:
Cutting back on fast food, taking the stairs, drinking fewer sodas. For years this has been the health marketer’s mantra: Little changes add up. But is it really easier to make little changes?
It’s true that moderate increases in activity throughout the day have a positive impact on your health. The media and health experts encourage Americans to do housework with vigor and watch the benefits pile up.
If prompting people to do these little things actually resulted in more action, I would be all for it, but the fact is, it usually doesn’t. Just look around any store, airport or mall and see how effective the “here and there adds up” messages have been. It’s scary. The reality is the percentage of overweight/obese Indiana adults has increased from 46 percent in 1990 to 62 percent in 2004. Besides that, 30 percent of young people ages 9-19 in Indiana already are overweight/obese.
How many people have lost weight, stuck to an exercise program, quit smoking, or reduced stress through only little changes? Most people who change successfully have made big changes — they started walking for 30 minutes every morning before breakfast, stopped snacking while watching TV, made substantial difference at home or work to alleviate stress, or threw out all their junk food so they could start eating right.
In reality, it’s the people who make big, substantial changes in habits who also end up doing the little things. Success at big changes perpetuates and sustains smaller changes to maintain health improvements. Why is this? Because small changes are too close to old habits.
The well-meaning though misguided belief that if you have to “give up just a little” you won’t feel deprived is especially destructive; you’re still giving up something significant psychologically, but not gaining much for your trouble.
With big changes, you’re also giving up something, but you’re much more likely to see the fruits of your labor — which reinforces your commitment to keep going.
Instead of encouraging people to make small goals or resolutions for the New Year I want to challenge people to think big. Start exercising at least three times a week … lose 10 percent of your total weight … quit smoking. This way you can look in the mirror and say, “I did it!” and have it mean something to you.
Stephanie Arnold, fitness director,
Jay Community Center
Saying thanks
To the editor:
As the holidays come to a close, we at the Salvation Army would like to thank all the volunteers who made this year’s fund-raiser a success.
Without you, many who are less fortunate would not receive the help they need.
A special thank you to our local merchants, to Dolphus Stephens and Flo Golden, who organized the high school students, and to the high school students who volunteered their time. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Denise Brewster, chairman,
Jay County Salvation Army[[In-content Ad]]
Cutting back on fast food, taking the stairs, drinking fewer sodas. For years this has been the health marketer’s mantra: Little changes add up. But is it really easier to make little changes?
It’s true that moderate increases in activity throughout the day have a positive impact on your health. The media and health experts encourage Americans to do housework with vigor and watch the benefits pile up.
If prompting people to do these little things actually resulted in more action, I would be all for it, but the fact is, it usually doesn’t. Just look around any store, airport or mall and see how effective the “here and there adds up” messages have been. It’s scary. The reality is the percentage of overweight/obese Indiana adults has increased from 46 percent in 1990 to 62 percent in 2004. Besides that, 30 percent of young people ages 9-19 in Indiana already are overweight/obese.
How many people have lost weight, stuck to an exercise program, quit smoking, or reduced stress through only little changes? Most people who change successfully have made big changes — they started walking for 30 minutes every morning before breakfast, stopped snacking while watching TV, made substantial difference at home or work to alleviate stress, or threw out all their junk food so they could start eating right.
In reality, it’s the people who make big, substantial changes in habits who also end up doing the little things. Success at big changes perpetuates and sustains smaller changes to maintain health improvements. Why is this? Because small changes are too close to old habits.
The well-meaning though misguided belief that if you have to “give up just a little” you won’t feel deprived is especially destructive; you’re still giving up something significant psychologically, but not gaining much for your trouble.
With big changes, you’re also giving up something, but you’re much more likely to see the fruits of your labor — which reinforces your commitment to keep going.
Instead of encouraging people to make small goals or resolutions for the New Year I want to challenge people to think big. Start exercising at least three times a week … lose 10 percent of your total weight … quit smoking. This way you can look in the mirror and say, “I did it!” and have it mean something to you.
Stephanie Arnold, fitness director,
Jay Community Center
Saying thanks
To the editor:
As the holidays come to a close, we at the Salvation Army would like to thank all the volunteers who made this year’s fund-raiser a success.
Without you, many who are less fortunate would not receive the help they need.
A special thank you to our local merchants, to Dolphus Stephens and Flo Golden, who organized the high school students, and to the high school students who volunteered their time. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Denise Brewster, chairman,
Jay County Salvation Army[[In-content Ad]]
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