newark_logo

Healthy Newark: Small changes can result in big fitness results

By Nic DeCaire

After working in the health profession for the past 18 years, I have come to that realization that most people would just rather be unhealthy.

It’s not because they haven’t tried or don’t want to be healthy — it’s simply easier to be unhealthy. Society has made it acceptable.

Don’t believe me? Look around.

Delaware ranks 13th in the nation for its adult obesity rate, according to the “State of Obesity” report released last year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health. Nearly one-third of the population is classified as obese.

I’m not on my soapbox to make people feel ashamed. My goal is to motivate people to live a healthier life.

So what does healthy look like? It’s not just the model on the magazine cover with six-pack abs and no hint of cellulite.
Healthy can be as simple as moving more and eating less. Maybe it’s trying to get off a certain type of medication. It might mean drinking more water. The idea is there’s no single definition of what healthy is or should be.

The great part is that you are in charge of what it means to be healthy in your own life. And if you could make small changes to your daily routine that could make you healthier, would you?

I am talking about changes so small that they won’t impact or inconvenience your life in the least. I imagine almost everyone would say, “yes.”

There’s no time to start like today. Here are some simple ways to start creating a healthier lifestyle.

1. Replace one of your caloric drinks with water.

Undoubtedly you’ve heard this advice before, but it works especially if you are always twisting off the lid of another sugar-sweetened drink. Depending on its size, a bottle of juice or soda has about 150 calories in it. Replace one with a glass of water, and you can save yourself almost 55,000 calories per year. That change alone could have you dropping 10 to 15 pounds.

2. Walk to get your mail.

Do you drive to get your mail? Be honest. If you walked to get your mail six days a week and your driveway is at least 40 feet long, you would be walking about an extra 25,000 steps per year. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but perhaps that change creates a domino effect. Soon after, you could start walking around your neighborhood after dinner.

3. Take the stairs.

How often do you stand waiting for the elevator when you could have taken the stairs to the second floor? Often, we do it out of habit or because others are waiting as well. Next time there is a line at the elevator, ask someone to take the stairs with you. Again, that small step could encourage someone else to add a twist to their own health routine.

Would these simple changes inconvenience your daily life? Think you could incorporate them? I hope so.

You that you can still enjoy your favorite foods, drink your favorite beer, and watch television and still get big results. You just need to start making small changes in order for it to happen.

Let’s change Newark.

Nic DeCaire is the owner of Fusion Fitness Center on Main Street. He writes a monthly column for the Newark Post.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


*