I was looking at my blog view results in Google Analytics, and found that the blog post that gets the most consistent keyword searches is one I wrote in the very beginning titled “The Daily Whipping”.

This title came about because some of my exercise class students suggested I make this the actual name of my blog.  (The conversation occurred during of one of my intense exercise classes so naturally, I don’t blame them.) I lightheartedly titled the first post after their suggestion, but didn’t expect it to get too much attention.

People that have hired me to be their coach have seen my task-master side as well as my gentle side.
Well, numbers don’t lie and it seems as though there are a lot of people out there who wouldn’t mind seeing the tougher side of me.  So, in order to please the public, I’m going to write a “Daily Whipping” post every now and then.

For this “Daily Whipping” post (wow, double entendre!) I’ll start with the whip and end with the gentle nudge.  Feel free to read it all, or just stop after you feel a bit of a sting.

The Stinging Whip

Did you know?

Simply to maintain a healthy body we need a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity-  5 days per week – in addition to everyday activities.
Guidelines according to ACSM, USDHHS, WHO, AHA

Significant weight loss is unlikely if you do less than 1 hour per day – 5 days per week – of moderately vigorous exercise (or 250-300 minutes per week).
ACSM research review 2009

Sixty percent of American adults are overweight or obese, and yet 33% of American adults never exercise and 55% don’t even know what vigorous activity feels like, let alone do it. Ever.
CDC report 2010

Come ON people – Let’s get with the program!!!!

If you haven’t been exercising regularly, you don’t need to ratchet up your fitness from zero to 100 all at once.  In fact, small bits of movement can be very beneficial.  For example:

As little as 60 minutes of walking per week (less than 10 minutes a day) is associated with  reduced risk for cardiovascular disease.  In fact, women who walked 1 hour per week in the Women’s Health Study of 2001 had half the risk of women who did not walk regularly.
The Women’s Health Study, Lee 2001

After a single bout of exercise, blood pressure will go down immediately and last for several hours.  This “postexercise hypotension” effect will occur even after only fifteen minutes of light or moderate intensity activity and is most obvious in people with high blood pressure
Guidry et al. 2006,  MacDonald 2002

Fifteen minute cardiovascular or strength workouts can improve cardiovascular health.   After doing these15 minute workouts, 7 days per week for 3 months, participants in a study done by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, had significantly reduced cardiovascular risk factors.
Lippincott et al. 2008

If it feels scary to think about moving for 30 minutes 5 days per week, begin by doing whatever you can to move a little more because anything is always better than nothing.