BodyWise Physical Therapy

How Television Can Harm Your Health

More than four hours a day: that’s how much television Americans watch on average. Watching TV is our most popular pastime, and it seems that we spend about as much time talking about it as we do watching. But what we don’t talk about so much is how all that time in front of the television affects us as individuals and as a society.

As an abundance of evidence makes clear, our television habit has serious negative consequences. Excessive TV-watching cuts into family time, harms our kids’ ability to read and perform well in school, encourages violence, and it can wreck your health.

TV Promotes Sedentary Lifestyles and Obesity
Americans, by and large, do not get enough physical exercise. We spend most of our free time watching television, which promotes obesity and its related illnesses. According to Dr. William Dietz, Director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Centers for Disease Control, “The easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set. Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.”

The Prevalence Of Obesity Among Adults and Children is Increasing
The Centers for Disease Control report that 27 percent of adults are obese nationwide and that obesity and its attendant health risks account for an estimated 300,000 deaths a year. The proportion of young children who are obese jumped from just over 4 percent in 1965 to over 15 percent in 2003. Childhood obesity is a leading factor in the unprecedented rise of Type II (“adult-onset”) diabetes among adolescents.

What’s more, sedentary children risk suffering from other ailments later in life, including chronic pain, heart disease, dizziness, and migraines— as Pete Egoscue has put it, “Children whose movements are limited because they’re spending their time in front of computers or televisions . . . are at risk of never fulfilling their potential.”

TV-Turnoff Tips

• Move your television to a less prominent location.
• Keep the TV off during meals.
• Designate certain days of the week as TV-free days.
• Do not use television as a reward.
• Listen to music or the radio for background noise.
• Cancel your cable subscription and use the money for books.
• Don’t worry if children claim to be bored. Boredom passes and often leads to creativity.

Source: WELCOA

If you’re like most Americans, you’re probably not getting nearly enough water during the course of your day. In fact, only one in five Americans meets the “eight a day” recommendation, and one in ten Americans don’t drink any water at all.

Proper hydration is key to a safe and effective workout. A good workout can easily leave you dehydrated, which is not only dangerous to your health, but could also ruin your workout. Proper hydration is important to your body’s ability to maintain a safe temperature, effectively pump blood to your muscles, burn calories and fat, as well as cleanse your body of toxins that have accumulated during your workout.

Drink Up
The following tips will help you stay healthy and well during your exercise routine.

Before Exercise: Drink 8 to 16 oz. of fluid two hours before exercise to make sure you are well hydrated. Then drink another 4 to 8 oz. immediately before exercise.

During Exercise: Drink 4 to 8 oz. every 20 minutes during exercise. Your body needs to replenish the water it’s sweating out to remain cool. Try to schedule water breaks during your workout. If you need to, use a water bottle or hydration backpack.

After Exercise: Drink enough water to replace the fluids you lost during your workout. How much is that you ask? Weigh yourself before and after your workout; for every pound you lost while exercising, drink two cups of water.

Calories Burned During Exercise

Activity                 Calories/Hr
Bicycling 6 mph – 240
Bicycling 12 mph – 410
Cross-country skiing – 700
Jogging 5½ mph – 740
Jogging 7 mph – 920
Jumping rope – 750
Running in place – 650
Running 10 mph – 1,280
Swimming 25 yds/min. – 275
Swimming 50 yds/min. – 500
Tennis-singles – 400
Walking 2 mph – 240
Walking 3 mph – 320
Walking 4½ mph – 440

Source: WELCOA

Maximum Fitness

Chris Miller, AAA-ISMA, PRCS maxxfit@comcast.net
443-864-7236

Vulcan Fitness

Jason Morstein, CSCS, CF-L1 jason@vulcanfit.com
443-864-8734

Louis Sarry, CSCS, CF-L1 louis@vulcanfit.com
301-908-1743

Diamond Cut Fitness

Sharon Cunningham, CPT diamondcutfitness@verizon.net
410-997-9732

Columbia Association Gyms

The Athletic Club 410-730-6744
Sherwood Minor
Shirley Callis
Jeanie Dramby
Lauraine Sanders
Emily Leffel

The Columbia Gym 410-531-0800
Bonnie Pace
Doc Wilson
Gaby Wilson

The Supreme Sports Club 410-381-5355
Shirley Callis
Jacqueline Chaverini
Denise Jenkins
Gail Miller
Paul Pfister
Mauria Ross

Life Time Fitness

Devon Bates dbates1@lifetimefitness.com
Mobile: 443-801-0464

Joshua Buchbinder jbuchbinder@lifetimefitness.com
Mobile: (410) 967-9699

Marcia Ra-Akbar  mraakbar@lifetimefitness.com
Mobile: 240 533 5539

Anthony Zirrolli azirrolli@lifetimefitness.com
Mobile: 443-852-4550

(BodyWise Physical Therapy does not have a professional relationship with any individual personal trainer or any company that employs personal trainers.  If you decide that you need to hire a personal trainer, we recommend that you thoroughly interview any candidate.  Use these interview steps as a guideline.)