Siéntese menos, muévase más: 5 formas de incluir más actividad física en su día

Let’s talk about exercise. Maybe you love it, maybe you tolerate it, maybe the mere mention of it draws a cringe. We all know the value of exercise but turning that knowledge into action can be a challenge.

Pero, ¿sabía que simplemente moverse más a lo largo del día puede mejorar su salud? Esta es una buena noticia para aquellos de nosotros que tenemos dificultades para ir al gimnasio todos los días.

La diferencia entre ejercicio y actividad física.

Mira, el ejercicio es una forma de actividad física. Sin embargo, no toda actividad física es ejercicio. El ejercicio es estructurado, repetitivo, diseñado para mejorar su estado físico general: piense en el entrenamiento con pesas, correr, aeróbic acuático, Pilates y demás. La actividad física es el movimiento normal de los músculos esqueléticos: subir escaleras, cortar el césped, hacer las tareas del hogar, etc.

La actividad física ayuda a reducir la ansiedad y la presión arterial, mejora la calidad del sueño y la sensibilidad a la insulina, y evita la progresión de la diabetes tipo 2 y la hipertensión.

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans published by Health and Human Services (HHS), simply moving more frequently throughout the day provides substantial and immediate benefits. Physical activity helps reduce anxiety and blood pressure, improve quality of sleep and insulin sensitivity, and fend off the progression of Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. While this is not an excuse to avoid exercising, it’s encouraging to know that a little physical activity goes a long way.

Independientemente de su nivel actual de condición física o condiciones de salud subyacentes, el simple hecho de estar activo abre todo tipo de nuevas formas de vivir de manera más saludable.

Por qué la actividad física es importante para su riesgo de diabetes

Moving throughout the day can significantly reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. If you are already living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, physical activity helps improve blood sugar control and decrease your risk of complications like Enfermedad del corazón. With that in mind, let’s put our knowledge into action.

Related: What is prediabetes and can you reverse it?

Aquí hay algunas formas prácticas de levantarse y moverse durante el día.

Ponte tus zapatos para caminar.

A 10-minute walk after eating can help you control your post-meal blood sugar more than exercising for 30 minutes once a day. The National Weight Control Registry, which identifies the characteristics of individuals who have succeeded at long-term weight loss and maintenance, says a whopping 94 percent of successful weight loss maintainers increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being simple walking.

Dirígete afuera.

Moving your activity outside to a wooded environment or forest can improve cardiovascular function, blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels — and even lower your risk of diabetes. If you live in a walkable neighborhood or near a park or forest, take the opportunity to enjoy a breath of fresh air.

Tómate un descanso para estirarte.

Simple stretching exercises can help you maintain joint health (something diabetes is known to impact over time), increase flexibility and improve range of motion. If you have limited mobility that keeps you from normal physical activities, you can still stretch to help maintain mobility and manage blood glucose levels.

Sin mencionar que tomarse unos minutos para estirar todos los días puede mejorar su salud mental y su estado de ánimo.

Related: Exercises that can boost your mental health

Pensar fuera de la caja.

Some of the most common, domestic, leisure time activities you may not associate with exercising (such as walking, gardening or yard work, dancing, swimming and golf) can help improve your overall health, reduce your hemoglobin A1c and risk of cardiovascular disease, and at the same time, have the lowest reported injury rates. Plus, these are usually things you enjoy doing, so they won’t feel like exercise.

Haz un plan y apégate a él).

Tómese el tiempo para pensar en el futuro y crear un plan personalizado de "estar activo". Cualquiera que sea la actividad que elija debe ser:

• Something you like. You’re more likely to stick with it.
• Something small. You’re less likely to burn out and you can always gradually increase the length of time.
• With someone you like. It’s typically more fun and motivating that way.
• Something you can easily set a SMART goal towards. S stands for specific, M for measurable, A for attainable, R for realistic, and T for timely.

Trate de pensar en ideas prácticas como: "Camine por el sendero natural en el parque de mi vecindario todos los días de la semana a las 6 p. m. durante 20 minutos con mi amiga Ann". O, “Haz estiramientos con banda de resistencia desde mi silla todas las mañanas con mi esposo en la pérgola del patio trasero después de que nos levantemos”. O, “Ofrécete como voluntario un día a la semana por la tarde en el hospital de niños para ayudarlos con sus tareas de jardinería al aire libre”.

The research says any amount of physical activity will help. The hardest part is getting started! Talk to your care team about ways to be more active. They can help you discover what “sit less, move more” might look like in your life.

Find a doctor near you.