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Why To Exercise Today: It's Like Showing Up For Work On Time


These succinct words of wisdom come from Southcoasttoday.com, in an editorial titled "Our view: Live healthy, reduce costs."

At a time when our state and nation are focused on health care policy, most Americans could do a better job implementing a little common-sense health policy in their own lives.

Americans need a shift in priorities. Getting 30 minutes of exercise each day should be as important as showing up to work on time — because when we take care of our health, we are working for ourselves; we are giving ourselves healthier bodies and minds, less anxiety, better sleep, and more alertness during the day.

It gets preachier as it goes on, but perhaps that's understandable in the area with the distinction of the highest obesity rates:

We tend to blame the cities and their poverty for boosting obesity numbers, but even with the towns included, Bristol County has the highest obesity rate in the state, and together with Hampden County, the highest rate of diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Clearly we need to do more, not just in the cities but around the state as well.

I have just one quibble: I love the idea of thinking of exercise as being as important as work punctuality, but I do find the two are often mutually exclusive: squeezing in the morning workout tends to push my start time later...

This program aired on May 25, 2011. The audio for this program is not available.

Headshot of Carey Goldberg

Carey Goldberg Editor, CommonHealth
Carey Goldberg is the editor of WBUR's CommonHealth section.

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