Let’s be straight – it’s been a rough two years. The pandemic has not only disrupted our way of life but it has also impacted our physical and mental health. If you’re like the 60% of Americans that have gained weight during this pandemic, there is something you can do to shed the covid-19-20-or-30 pounds and improve your overall health! 

And it’s practically free. I’m talking about aerobic exercise. Regular aerobic exercise is good for just about anything that ails you.  It can:

• help you lose weight
• help with insomnia
• decrease both anxiety and depression
• help improve your blood sugars if you have diabetes
• help improve your cholesterol numbers, especially HDL – the protective type of cholesterol
• help lower your blood pressure
• help with back pain and pain from arthritis
• and even make you better at math 

 You can gain all of these benefits with just 20 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 5 days a week.

What’s aerobic? Aerobic exercise is any sustained activity that gets your heart rate up. You don’t need any fancy equipment to monitor your heart rate. If you are having a hard time carrying on a conversation but can talk, this is probably a good indicator that you are going hard enough. You can bike, run, swim, take an aerobics or Zumba class, but just plain old walking at a good clip will do the same thing. At a good clip, though. Sauntering is good for your health, but it won’t get you all those health benefits in the list.

Getting started. If you haven’t exercised in a while, begin slowly. You should start where your fitness level allows. This may be just a short brisk walk down the street or taking the stairs for one floor. It is important to remember to increase this gradually. The recommendation is to increase the amount of exercise by about 10% a week. So, if you can walk at a good clip for 5 minutes, the goal for next week is 5 minutes and 30 seconds. Increasing your exercise too quickly can strain your heart or lead to overuse injuries.

Keeping it going. It takes about 6 weeks for a new change to become habit. Make your exercise fun. Do something you like. If you hate walking in the cold, go to the Big Dipper Ice Arena. It has a walking track. Take a Zumba or water aerobics class. Make a pact with a friend so you won’t be tempted to cancel out.  Some people listen to audiobooks while exercising or watch a movie while walking on a treadmill. My husband never gets enough time to read, but then he discovered audiobooks and now looks forward to “reading” while running. Figure out what makes you look forward to your exercise.

Making the time. Most people say they don’t have time to exercise, but 30 minutes is only two percent of your day. If you commit yourself to sitting down and working on the problem, you will be able to find the time. I work about 50 hours a week yet find the time to train for ultra-endurance events. I will sometimes incorporate exercise during my commute to work. Often my social get-togethers are also exercise sessions. Look at your calendar a week ahead and see where you can either squeeze in time for exercise or modify an activity to make it aerobic! Start slow, choose one day to go for a walk during your lunch. Decide to get up an hour earlier another day. Walk and talk with another parent while the kids are at soccer practice. If you have a dog, take him for a walk every day. Push your kids uphill in a stroller before letting them out to run. Once you start thinking about it, you will be able to find places in your life that allow for exercise. 

Learning to love it. It may take a while to make exercise a regular part of your life, but the benefits are many. And I’m pretty sure that you’re eventually going to start liking the way it makes you feel. If you do it long enough, you will probably start loving it!

Leistikow, Corrine, MD is a Board Certified Family Medicine physician with Tanana Valley Clinic. She provides care to all patients of all ages, from newborn to the elderly. She is passionate about establishing strong relationships with her patients and their families. She feels that being physically active with regular exercise is an important part of staying healthy both in mind and body.