Frosty Newsletter 5

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Newsletter Six


Unplug to live more

A message we seldom hear from the media
The unplugged life can be pretty great. Who couldn’t use more time in the day? What if you unplugged from your TV or computer and spent that time doing your favorite hobbies? Like changing any habit, cutting down on your TV, Internet, or mobile device time might be challenging at first. Aren’t you worth the effort, though?

Unplug to burn more calories A six-week study at the University of Vermont found that overweight adults who cut their TV time in half (down from an average of five hours a day) burned 120 more calories a day than the control group that did not change their TV habits. Most of those who
cut their TV time did not fill the time
with exercise. Yet, shifting away from TV made them more active. This increase in activity was the
equivalent of walking 8 miles a week! FAST


“It is better to wear out than to rust out.”
—Richard Cumberland

What would you do with an extra hour a day?
The average U.S. adult watches
28 hours of TV a week. By contrast, more than 60 percent of successful maintainers in the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) watch
10 hours or fewer of TV per week. Not ready to cut down that much? Eighty-seven percent of NWCR maintainers watch 20 hours or fewer. For most people, this would mean decreasing TV by roughly an hour
a day.

Find balance in your life
Time spent “leaning back” in front of the TV or “leaning in” before a computer screen can leave you feeling
off-balance. What else could you
be doing? Research shows that when people spend time
doing their favorite leisure activities, they typically report feeling happy, engrossed, and relatively free from stress. These activities could include seeing friends, listening to music, reading, going to religious services, fishing, exercising, or sitting in a coffee shop.

When you do plug in, plug in your weight
Recent research by Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research found that using interactive weight management Websites helps people maintain weight loss. The results showed that those who log on at least once a month over two years maintain the greatest weight loss. FAST

Unplug and reap the benefits

Sharpen your brain —The latest research finds that spending time unplugged from electronic media helps people to better remember
information and generate new ideas. FAST

Find happiness —A 2010
Kaiser Family Foundation study found that young people spend an average of 53 hours each week with electronic media. Those who spend the most time with electronic media tend to be the unhappiest. Could this be true for adults as well?

Think outside the box —Take a moment to jot down a list of activities that you would enjoy doing if you had more time. Consider if you might be willing to unplug fromTV, Internet, and phone use in order to gain this time.

Beware the chair— Did you hear about the recent research that suggests that too much sitting can increase your risk of death, even if you get regular exercise? This means that frequent small breaks
for standing, stretching, or walking not only feel good, but they can lengthen your life in addition to improving your health. FAST & FRUGAL

Use your influence— Need another reason to unplug? What you do has an influence on those around you. The research is clear that young people whose parents are physically active are more likely to be active themselves. It stands to reason that your loved ones are going to benefit if you unplug more often.


Take a minute to think about the time you spend viewing TV and computers. What are the pros and cons of being plugged in?



PROS:



CONS: