In January on this blog, Linda Carter shared an excellent article, “Nature Therapy for a Healthy Lifestyle.” She gives suggestions for a variety of ways to add nature to our daily lives. This article will focus on one of the methods—Forest Bathing.
There is a lot of talk these days about detoxing our bodies. This makes sense considering how many toxins we are exposed to every day; from the environment and the foods we eat. Stress alone can cause a buildup of toxins in our body, as it affects gut health and inflammation levels.
For decades health professionals have been warning that increased mortality is associated with sedentary lifestyles. According to Healthy People 2020, 36% of adults did not pursue any physical activity during leisure time. A study discussed in a recent Harvard Heart Letter revealed that the average participant’s day consisted of 7.7 hours sleep and 10.4 hours sitting— presumably much of that at work.
Many people who work out have their favorite exercises; however, to be fully fit, both aerobic and anaerobic exercises should be combined in a workout regimen.
Exercise burns calories and builds muscle and bones. It is a necessity for good health at any stage in life, especially for senior citizens. Many health problems faced by older people might have been avoided if exercise had been part of a daily routine. Any movement burns calories. I could write a weight loss book in one sentence: “If you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight,” end of book. I coauthored Lose the Weight, and Keep the Faith, with Nick Gaglione, a fitness trainer. “Cut and burn” was the crux of our message. If you cut calories and burn calories through purposeful exercising you will lose weight. To lose a pound a week, you must burn 3500 calories more than you consume.