Cooperative Living May 2021 - 26

HealthyTake | by Pamela A. Keene, Contributing Writer
Remember,
improving your
health and fitness
The Circle of Health and Fitness
15 minutes a day can boost your life expectancy up to three years
W
hat do I need to do to be
more healthy and fit? Should
I modify my eating habits?
What if I add more exercise? Should
I work on both?
" To attain a moderate level of
health and fitness, it's a dual-pronged
approach, " says Natasha Weddle,
founder of TNB Fitness and The New
Beginnings Center in Nashville, Tenn.
" You can make better choices of
what you put into your body, but
healthy eating is only part of the
equation. Or you could start an exercise
program to improve your fitness, but
unless you have a combination of
both, you're selling yourself short. "
A former college basketball player,
Weddle learned through experience -
and five surgeries - about the
importance of a well-rounded approach
to health and wellness. She spent 17
years as a strength and conditioning
coach. Then Weddle created TNB
Fitness to promote a full circle of health
and fitness that helps people maximize
their potential.
" Let's start with the 'Triple Seven
Rule,' an uncomplicated way to build
new habits that can be easy to
incorporate into your lifestyle, " she
says. " Apply the Triple Sevens to
'Walk, Water and Sleep,' and you're
well on your way to becoming healthier
and more fit, even if you're not into
making massive changes. "
Here's the formula, developed
by StrengthMatters:
* Walk: seven days a week,
taking 7,000 steps each day
* Water: seven days a week,
drinking seven glasses a day
* Sleep: seven days a week,
getting seven hours a day
ONE STEP AND SIP AT A TIME
" The beauty of the Triple Sevens
is that you can approach it gradually, "
Weddle says. " For instance, if you
don't walk purposefully at all, consider
walking three days a week, and aim
for an incremental number that's fewer
than 7,000 steps each day, something
you're comfortable with. After a week
or so, push yourself to add more steps
and another day. Depending on your
commitment, you'll likely build up
to seven days, 7,000 steps in four to
eight weeks. "
The same holds true for adding
more water to your daily intake. " Break
it down into manageable goals. A glass
of water before breakfast, another glass
at lunch and another at dinner results
in three of the seven each day, " she
says. " If you're already drinking that
much water, add another glass between
meals or after your daily walk. "
Statistics show that nearly 75%
of all Americans are dehydrated and
is a lifelong
journey.
that the average human drinks only
1.8 cups of water daily, according to
waterlogic.com.
" That's simply not enough water for
your vital organs to function properly, "
Weddle says. " Water is not only vital
for proper digestion and processing the
food you eat, it's crucial to keep your
muscles, kidneys, liver and even your
brain working at peak. And research
shows that water is much more critical
for survival than food. "
Water is the ideal beverage to
consume. " Avoid drinks with added
sugar or empty calories. Fruit juices,
which may sound like a good choice,
are loaded with sugar. Even supposed
sports drinks don't provide the full
circle of benefits that plain old water
supplies. "
As for sleep, Weddle says that
between seven and eight hours is ideal
for the average person, but 33% of
the population gets less than six-anda-half
hours each night.
" The hours of quality sleep you get
nightly affect not only your focus and
energy level during the day, it also
contributes to weight gain over time, "
she says. " Additionally, if you're shortcircuiting
the amount of sleep you get,
you increase your risk of heart attacks,
stroke and sudden cardiac death. "
EASE INTO EXERCISE
Upping your walking game can add
24 Coope| Cooperative Living | May 2021
Livin
y
co-opliving.com
pliv
m
http://www.waterlogic.com http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living May 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living May 2021
