As I've written before, your mind and your health are more important than money. Recently I ran into an article from Parade magazine that offered interesting facts on how fitness can help both your mind and your health. I'll be sharing parts of the article each day for the next few days and adding my comments. Today, we'll review the fact that something as simple as cleaning your house can make you healthier:
A study at Indiana University in Bloomington showed that lifestyle activities such as vacuuming or even walking Fido can significantly lower your blood pressure. Shooting for four hours of accumulated activity over the course of a day does the trick. “Routines with an aerobic component—mowing the lawn or running up and down the cellar stairs—were the most beneficial,” says researcher Jaume Padilla.
A few thoughts on this:
1. I can testify that mowing the lawn is a good workout. Especially with the circa 1980 mower we got from Sears that's STILL RUNNING!!!!
2. "Shooting for four hours of accumulated activity over the course of a day does the trick." I think this is the reason that older people who remain active do well versus those who simply "relax" by attaching themselves to the couch.
3. Don't let my wife see this post or she'll suggest I stop biking and start cleaning! ;-)
Comments