It’s January 2nd. Are You Moving?

As 2012 came to a close, I confess, I found myself scrambling to get some last minute things done, one of which was to complete a couple of outstanding continuing education units for my personal training certification through ACSM.  

The online option to read the journal and take a quiz seemed fitting and information from a reliable source, whether new or a review, is always welcome.

The articles I read focused on some recent studies and statistics, all of which were rather eye opening, in a disappointing way.

From the IDEA Fall Journals, here are just a few snippets from some of the pieces:

• 50% of the people surveyed in a recent sampling in the UK stated that they did not think they’d be able to complete a 100 meter run.
• An extremely high percentage of Americans fail to meet the very minimal guidelines of getting 150 minutes of exercise per week.
• 69% of Americans spend most of their day sitting.

Can we just start with the basics?

Whether or not you’re interested in Paleo living, let’s all agree on something, these stats are unacceptable and have to change.  Just getting out the door for thirty minutes per day to walk on the neighborhood would even be a good start.  If you can’t walk for thirty minutes, start with five.  Not kidding.  The consequences of not doing so are far too grim not only for the health (or lack thereof) of the individual people, but for that of our society as a whole.

Get out there and move it!