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dot NPR dot org. You're
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listening to Life Kit from
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NPR. Hey,
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everybody, it's Marielle. Before
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we jump into the episode, I wanted to
0:26
share some other exciting things that Life Kit
0:28
is working on for New Year's. One
0:30
of the things I love about New Year's is that
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it's a time to reflect and to think about what
0:35
matters to you and what your goals are. And we
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want to know what you're working towards. Send
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us an email at Life Kit at
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npr.org with your New Year's resolution. And
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we might share your response in our
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newsletter. Happy New Year. It's
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early January, which means a lot of
0:52
us are looking to get exercising again.
0:56
And yeah, moving our bodies is incredibly important
0:58
for our health. But how do you find
1:00
the time? You got to put the
1:02
clothes on and then do the exercise, which depending on the
1:04
workout can feel kind of boring. Then you
1:06
got to shower. I mean, that's a lot already. Not
1:09
to mention, you just might not always have the energy. But
1:12
getting into an exercise habit doesn't have to
1:14
mean doing the fanciest spin class or the
1:16
most intense weightlifting workout five times a week.
1:19
The scientific research on movement tells us there's
1:22
a much gentler, more inclusive
1:24
way on this episode
1:26
of Life Kit, how to get started with
1:28
exercising. And PR science correspondent Maria Godoy is
1:30
going to teach us to love exercise or
1:32
at least like it enough to actually do
1:34
it. She'll go over tactics
1:36
to help you bust through the barriers
1:39
that are keeping you from starting or
1:41
restarting an exercise habit. The good
1:43
news is it's easier than you think.
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You can find it at marygdeoy.com. Get pace
2:34
at npr.org and thanks. I'm
2:41
Marieke Deux. And I actually
2:43
crave exercise. But wait, before you
2:45
say, ugh, she's a fitness freak,
2:47
know this. A year and a half
2:49
ago, I was completely sedentary.
2:53
So what changed? Well, I
2:55
came across this bit of research. The
2:57
research does now show that
3:00
basically all movement counts. And
3:03
anything counts and anything is better than nothing.
3:06
That's Michelle Stieger. She's a sport and
3:08
health ecologist at the University of Michigan.
3:10
She studies how we sustain healthy behaviors
3:12
and she's got your first big takeaway. If
3:14
you want to get exercise, start by
3:17
reframing what you think of as exercise. I've
3:20
been astounded that even up
3:22
until today, very educated people
3:24
don't know, don't believe
3:26
that walking actually quote unquote counts
3:28
as valid exercise. And that was
3:30
a big hang up for me.
3:33
I had all these preconceived notions about what
3:35
kind of exercise was worth doing. All right,
3:38
true or false, you have to sweat for
3:40
it to count for health benefits. False.
3:43
You have to do it in 30 minute
3:45
uninterrupted stretches. False.
3:48
You need to feel the burn or it really doesn't count. False.
3:52
All right. So where are we going to pass?
3:55
Yeah, you're passing again. Perfect
3:57
winner. You get to keep your PhD. But
4:01
even though these ideas about exercise
4:04
or wrong, they're still really prevalent.
4:06
We. Actually heard them from a lot of you. Here's.
4:09
One person we heard from his name is Tom
4:11
Ryan. Eyes and came of
4:13
age are in the eighties
4:15
where things like aerobics, arabs,
4:17
Arnold Schwarzenegger, we're starting to
4:19
really become big and the
4:21
aerobics culture and the weightlifting
4:23
culture of were promoting this.
4:26
Gotta go crazy and really
4:28
just be hard core and
4:30
that's why I thought I
4:32
had to do. Some.
4:34
I also felt sick to
4:36
like numerous the news Six
4:38
dismissal speaker says let your
4:40
preconceptions about a gold standard
4:43
of exercise. Some sleep doing
4:45
it. And. That's
4:47
what gets in people's lives because
4:49
if we don't need to continue
4:52
on some very little to a
4:54
lot and I like only for
4:56
missiles are very little then we
4:58
choose not to do anything when
5:01
very little might be exactly what
5:03
we need. Because the fact
5:05
is you don't have to be a
5:07
marathon out or a gym rat. the
5:10
get health benefits from exercise science tells
5:12
us so much passes moderately insensitivity and
5:14
the extra timeline as we should be
5:17
getting one hundred sixty minutes of at
5:19
each week and support off diseases like
5:21
picture diabetes, cardiovascular disease, even some cancers.
5:24
There's. Actually, there's their duty but
5:26
cool resource called the Compendium of
5:29
physical activities if you say researchers
5:31
to compare apples and oranges when
5:33
it comes to exercise and it
5:35
uses a value called a meth
5:38
or metabolic equivalent just sitting. Doing
5:40
nothing. Is a net value
5:43
of one? Oh, you're working
5:45
out know Rahul metabolic rate.
5:48
By. The Way that loretta
5:50
to Pietro season exercise scientists
5:52
at George Washington University an
5:54
activity that say. Is
5:57
to. That means that.
5:59
Next you will Oh whoa. You're.
6:02
Resting metabolic rate which I'm getting
6:04
up and walking across the room
6:06
is about to that. And.
6:08
The criticized the compendium list and
6:11
met values for all kinds of
6:13
activities. Everything from mopping the floor
6:15
effect three and a half mast,
6:17
a little line dancing which can
6:20
be almost eight minutes. Having said
6:22
that, sit there it is. Oh
6:24
yeah, really is not. Look thoroughly
6:27
through the content. But
6:31
the magic number you want an activity
6:33
to hit is at least three minutes.
6:35
That is correct moderate. Intensity activities
6:37
are defined as those that
6:39
would require between three and
6:42
six net. Loss of
6:44
regular activities do that kind the stairs
6:46
slowly in that format. Climbing quickly
6:48
and it's nearly nine men, which
6:50
means you're burning nearly nine times
6:52
as many calories as he would.
6:54
Be if you're just sitting nothing
6:57
even me her driven content If
6:59
you do with doctors. And
7:02
researchers now know that these little movements
7:04
are up. The sake of it. Like
7:07
putting pennies in a piggy bank. And
7:10
he as you just put three pennies and
7:12
you may think oh this doesn't add up
7:14
to much but at the end of the
7:16
month it doesn't deal. Which
7:18
is great news. Has so many of
7:21
you say the biggest problem for you
7:23
is time. It takes me about forty
7:25
five minutes to get. Home
7:27
from one pick up and kids
7:29
and three thirty cook in every
7:31
dinner after my. An immersive
7:34
The Thursday. For thirty. Years.
7:38
Myself to go to the gym and
7:40
that brings us to our. Second, Big
7:42
take away. Don't think of exercise
7:44
as all. Or nothing. even smoke.
7:47
Thousand Exercise have values and make
7:49
and help you build a fitness.
7:51
So instead think of exercise like
7:53
climbing a ladder, started the bottom
7:55
and work your way up. Also
7:57
allow or is a wonderful model
7:59
for. For initiating.
8:01
And an exercise. Program: When you've
8:04
been sedentary and climbing a
8:06
ladder, you start from the
8:08
first run. Start Small lake, standing
8:10
up from your chair and sitting back
8:12
down repeatedly. Stand up sit down Stand
8:15
Ups and downs. Kinda like you're doing
8:17
squats or to stick a five minute
8:19
walk. It helps to clear sat in
8:21
sugar out his blood. Just. By
8:24
moving and that can help ward
8:26
off diseases like type two diabetes.
8:28
And hypertension. Second wrong with
8:30
these three ten minute bounce.
8:32
our physical. Activity Climbing the
8:34
stairs. Maybe one of those three
8:37
sessions you walk for ten minutes.
8:39
Outside studies show these short bursts
8:41
of exercise can give you similar
8:44
heart health benefits and one longer
8:46
bout and. They. Can also help keep
8:48
you from gaining weight. And. Other words:
8:50
you're getting sitter, even any short
8:53
files. And. Eventually you can build
8:55
up to working out and much longer stretches.
8:57
It. Is hard. but it's doable. It
8:59
is absolutely doable. Actually did it over
9:01
the last year. Loretta and how did
9:04
you do that by going up the
9:06
ladder literally came across this research. Started
9:08
doing little five, ten minute walk, then
9:10
started taking the stairs, then decided I
9:12
like that and doing it longer and
9:14
then starting to use the elliptical that
9:17
was gathering dust in my basement and
9:19
then a slave. Then I got a
9:21
trainer and then I started taking classes.
9:23
and yes, now work out every day.
9:26
Three. So and the and the
9:28
what Is it true that the
9:30
more you accomplish the list that
9:32
was walking up stairs u cel.
9:35
Weapon could take on the
9:37
world was absolutely. Actually I
9:40
did. So. Rate is so
9:42
we call itself or for to see
9:44
road when you complete. Your goals no
9:46
matter how modest those. Goals are
9:48
it creates a ceiling like all
9:50
I can do more. after
9:54
i started exercising i did lose weight
9:56
which was nice and i'm not a
9:59
healthy weight but That's not what's kept me
10:01
going. For me, exercise has
10:03
become the only time in my day
10:05
that's all about me, away from my
10:07
busy job, away from my too small
10:09
and adorable, but demanding children. And
10:12
honestly, with my hectic schedule, exercise
10:14
gives me the energy to keep going. Which
10:17
brings us to your third big lesson, and
10:19
it has to do with motivation. Don't
10:22
exercise because you wanna look better or
10:24
be healthier. Instead, focus on how
10:26
it makes you feel. I know,
10:29
it sounds counterintuitive, but Michelle Seger says
10:31
there's science behind this. I would
10:33
say for the majority of people
10:35
from the work I've done with people
10:37
over the last couple decades, that
10:40
exercising to improve health, avoid
10:43
a disease, or to lose
10:46
weight are not very good
10:48
motivators. She says what
10:50
really works is focusing on the
10:53
short-term benefits of exercise. When people
10:55
actually get an immediate, positive
10:58
experience when they move,
11:00
that that is just about
11:03
the most potent motivator for continuing
11:05
to do it. And there's
11:07
a lot of science on those immediate
11:09
benefits. We know that it helps people
11:11
generate energy. We know
11:13
that it boosts mood. We
11:16
know that improves executive functioning
11:18
and all the tasks associated
11:20
with that focus, creativity. There
11:23
are so many positives
11:25
that happen when you move. Michelle has
11:27
spent a lot of time studying this.
11:29
And she says the reason why wanting
11:32
to lose weight is a bad motivator
11:34
is it just takes way too long
11:36
to see any payoff. The bottom line
11:38
is it's much easier to ingest 600
11:41
calories by eating a quick muffin on
11:43
the way to work than it is
11:45
to burn off 600 calories with
11:48
exercise. It could take you up to
11:50
two hours of walking to burn off
11:52
that muffin. And if your goal
11:54
is significant weight loss, you need to be getting
11:56
closer to 300 minutes of
11:58
moderate activity each week. If
12:01
you're just starting out, that can be incredibly
12:03
daunting. And so given
12:05
the ease of calorie intake
12:07
versus expenditure, what
12:09
we eat really plays a greater role in
12:11
how much we weigh than how much we
12:14
exercise. So instead of dreaming
12:16
of that future beach bod, focus on
12:18
all the immediate rewards you get from
12:20
exercise. When you have more
12:22
energy and you're a happier person, you
12:24
bring that much more enthusiasm and
12:27
energy and performance to your role
12:29
in your work and your patience
12:31
as a parent and patience as a
12:33
partner to someone if that's a part
12:35
of your life. So
12:38
feeling better isn't just
12:40
this selfish hedonic
12:42
thing. It actually is fuel for
12:44
the things that matter most in
12:46
our lives. So next time you're
12:48
doing some kind of exercise and you think, oh, I
12:50
don't actually mind this, stop and ask
12:52
yourself, why do I like this? Is it clearing
12:55
my head? Is it easing my anxiety a bit?
12:57
Did I just need a shot of sunshine? And
13:00
this can be a really empowering way to think
13:02
of exercise. But
13:04
a lot of you told us that part of
13:06
the reason you don't exercise is because you find
13:09
it boring or you're embarrassed to do it in
13:11
public or going to the gym makes you anxious
13:13
or uncomfortable. Like Jess Engel, who left
13:15
us this voicemail. I get on
13:17
the treadmill and I just
13:19
have this overwhelming feeling
13:22
of just needing to leave, needing to run
13:24
away, feeling like I
13:26
can't breathe. It's really
13:29
uncomfortable. Michelle says there's another
13:31
way we can be thinking about this and
13:33
it's your final takeaway. Instead
13:36
of forcing yourself to do something that makes you feel
13:38
bad, figure out what kind
13:40
of exercise and exercise location makes you
13:42
feel good. The big
13:44
goal is to have
13:46
people think of physical movement as
13:49
their ally in life, as
13:51
a strategy I
13:53
dare say even as a friend that can help
13:56
them feel their best on the
13:58
days they feel good and feel better. The
16:00
team also includes Angie Tagle, Audrey
16:02
Wynn, Claire Marie Schneider, and Margaret
16:04
Serino. Engineering support comes
16:06
from Gilly Moon. Special thanks
16:08
to Carmel Ross, Alison Aubrey, and Rachel
16:11
Cohen. I'm Mary Elsigara. Thanks
16:13
for listening.
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