Exercise for Health

This is the most important article of all, it is the "Power of exercise for human health". I have been on this journey before and continue to be a day in my life of getting more active and making myself healthier, just as you will learn to become healthier. It’s like when your child tells you they want to do something, you find excuses not to do it so much, but you can hear them. You know that’s what they want. So you set out to do it, with everything except your own body. Even though you love your job, and try your best to make it as fun and exciting as possible, you still don’t enjoy doing what you do. Well, if you want to live longer than anyone else, it takes hard work, and a little bit of luck (a lot of things being equal) but you can get there. If you don’t like working out, don’t take up exercise. Don’t try to do it and see what happens.

I wrote about exercise as I discovered my love for running back then, and now I write about how I am finding it more effective with every workout I do each week. You must do what works for your body and body systems. My doctor has told me to run 100 minutes per week and I have done it, sometimes with no break and sometimes almost without one, depending on how much time the weather allows. I often feel bad saying I have run for 20 minutes sometimes because the other people are thinking this is enough and won’t help me. At least in some cases, it does. Most people think I am mad and they don’t tell me, but then again I do it for no reason. When my legs hurt I go for long runs and I know I did it for many years without giving in, though for a short period because this was easier than anything else. That’s why running is always a pleasure and makes me happy. I have tried different types of runs before, usually with longer distances of 4 to 10 miles. The main thing is that you can run faster on higher hills than on lower ones. In general, it gives me an extra “gut” to do it.

I have found that runners who do the distance fast start to notice the pain sooner than those who run slower. But even so, this happens to most people and they may ignore this advice. They start to wonder why someone would hurt so much when they run fast, so why should I? Maybe after a month or two, my muscles will start to weaken, maybe it’s a genetic problem. I can’t say which one and don’t let yourself fall into this trap. Run every day and give it your absolute all and enjoy every minute.

Don't forget about rest.

So many people get their heart racing just by the thought of running. As soon as that first mile starts to come they get it even after a couple of miles. People often say that their minds can’t stay focused for such a long time. That’s ridiculous. Even runners need to recharge their batteries. And when someone feels exhausted after running hard, it doesn’t mean they didn’t give their best effort. Yes, it hurts and you might get injured, but you’ve given your best. That also means you gave your best at that level and you’ll keep giving until it goes away.

So, don’t forget to rest too! No matter how strong you are, if you don’t get enough sleep, especially while running, you will not have a good night’s sleep. There are several tests you can do during the night. Make sure you have done blood tests and don’t stop until the results come in. One test can test any hormonal difference and it is a quick way to know when you need extra water in your fluids. Some people also check their thyroid levels. Some athletes check their cortisol levels and make sure their adrenal glands are, are pumping enough to carry out their tasks without taking the stress on their body. Stress also depletes oxygen to the brain that might be needed for a great race. Your muscles also require more oxygen than normal at times and it might hurt and you might not be able to breathe. What matters only is whether you take care of your body and don’t make it less than it can, so even a slight injury could turn into what you can “live with”. Just avoid injuries and make sure you have enough of your energy to finish what you started. So, don’t let your health suffer because you’ve forgotten a little bit. Don’t leave yourself in the cold if you don’t want it, because then you have nothing.

I’ve learned that these factors have made running a source of enjoyment rather than a stressful chore, and I’m enjoying the new feeling of doing something that I wouldn’t do normally. Now, instead of worrying about the pace, focus on the race itself and enjoy it. So, I’m not going to tell you to run too fast. Give your best, try to give your heart rate and oxygen to where it comes from. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a high-speed run if you want it to be. All you need is time and if you need to run faster than usual, you are free to do so. Enjoy every minute, it's easy to get distracted from it while running a few miles because we are used to looking at our phones and losing sight of what really counts. We think about the next thing at hand. We don't stop once we hit the stride mark and never look back to see what we have done. So, if you don’t want to run the fastest, choose the one you want to go for. Or if you are having trouble keeping up, pick one of the fastest at that moment. Try to find out if you need to change your routine like I did and what you need to put in your system to be healthy. See what doesn’t work in your life and work out why. Get educated and ask your husband/wife or friends about what supplements they use for their workouts, and how much they take.

Don’t forget to eat right.

I’ve written a story (see links) about how to prepare more healthy meals by shopping online and making a list of ingredients. For example, if I wanted to cook cauliflower rice, I had to buy more vegetables than other ingredients. Of course, I liked the variety and flavor of vegetables but at the same time some vegetables, especially broccoli, go with chicken, rice, and eggs. So I bought most vegetables (even though I hate broccoli) and they all went well together. I didn’t care about other vegetables, I just focused on cooking vegetables and adding spices.

Most vegetables are rich in vitamin A and vitamin B, but some vegetables are deficient in these nutrients, especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage. You can get more B-vitamins and C-vitamins from mushrooms, but it requires more research to see what each specific ingredient is worth.

For example, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, and cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables. I usually buy cruciferous vegetables in large packages with added salt (or salt in the vegetable). However, for smaller vegetables, you can buy them individually packaged. To add spice to onions, I mix them with black pepper, bay leaves plus lemon juice. If you want to cut vegetables, cut them lengthways and make them similar in size. Then you can place the smaller pieces of onion in larger containers, or small slices. Add them to pasta and soups, roast them with vegetables such as peppers or cheese and bake them for at least three hours depending on their size, or boil them and season with herbs and spices. I usually do the opposite of seasoning vegetables. Add veggies to the soup. I often add them to spaghetti. Onions and broccoli are popular vegetables for salads, but they are very good in sandwiches and soups. For example, tomato soup includes tomatoes rather than onion soup and vice versa, however, the latter can be combined with lots of vegetables like carrots.

You can also choose vegetables that have plenty of the nutrients you need. I eat red cabbage every day, especially for its color and its freshness, but this also contains iron, zinc, calcium, and potassium. Tomatoes contain Vitamin A, Zinc, Potassium, Folic Acid, and Phosphorus. I usually add a little olive oil to the cabbage leaves and then lightly broil them until they break down and thicken as soon as the water evaporates away.

This recipe works for large vegetables to smaller vegetables depending on the number of leafy greens you use. Smaller vegetables use more leafy greens, so if you have lots, add more vegetables with smaller leaves. Also the bigger the number of vegetables, the better because with such a huge surface area there are more nutrients to absorb.

A big advantage of buying pre-packed vegetables is that you have loads of options to choose from. If you have lots of spinach in your fridge you probably could get a salad mix. But pre-packed vegetables are also handy to make yourself as they can be easily stored in your pantry or bag to take with you on long trips. Besides, frozen vegetables are available on the market in large stores and supermarkets and you could easily defrost them if you get hungry after a long day and cook them for yourself.

In conclusion, don’t underestimate how healthy eating is important for our body.

Be careful when trying new recipes. You need to make sure that the quantities of each ingredient match their