Numerous studies have shown that getting enough exercise and receiving adequate nutrition are critical if you want to live a healthy lifestyle

Numerous studies have shown that getting enough exercise and receiving adequate nutrition are critical if you want to live a healthy lifestyle.

Living a Healthy Way of Life is No Mystery

We’ve heard over and over again that a well balanced diet and good exercise program are the building blocks of good health. So why don’t more people strive to achieve both?Life Time Fitness, a national Healthy Way of Life company, is seeking to help people take charge of their health and wellness in the face of a national obesity epidemic. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 50-percent of U.S. adults - or approximately 100 million people - are overweight, and more than 33% are trying to lose weight.“Over the years, I’ve heard more excuses than you can possibly imagine,” says Jeff Zweifel, vice president of the nutritional products division for Life Time Fitness. “People tell me they’re too busy or that it’s too difficult to take the time to eat right and exercise. Others have tried and faced disappointing or ineffectual results. We aim to help folks change their habits and attitudes toward achieving better health.”Numerous studies have shown that getting enough exercise and receiving adequate nutrition are critical if you want to live a healthy lifestyle. The 1996 Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity recommends the average American get 30 minutes of physical activity per day.“New science shows you don’t have to go for high intensity physical activity to improve your lifestyle. Regularly walking the dog around the block, raking leaves, folding the laundry or taking the stairs instead of the elevator can all help. The key is to be consistent about it,” says Philip Haberstro, president of the National Association for Health and Fitness.Since the Surgeon General’s Report came out, his agency has been working on ways to encourage people to engineer physical activity back into their lives. “Personally, I park a little further away from the places I’m going so I can get a little exercise in on my way to appointments,” adds Haberstro.Staying active isn’t the only thing you need to do to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “All the exercise in the world isn’t going to help you in the long run if you don’t eat right too,” says Zweifel.In a guidebook provided to its members, Life Time Fitness nutritionists recommend that instead of a big breakfast, lunch and dinner, people eat several small balanced meals (optimally four) and a couple of small snacks throughout the day. “By balanced wemeanmeals that contain protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and