For many, the January/February period is the toughest time of year. The holidays are over. Lingering credit card bills weigh heavily on the conscience—and the wallet. Vows we made to lose weight, quit smoking or exercise more have long since been forgotten.
All of this affects our mental health and well-being, says Dr. Cliff Arnall, a specialist in seasonal disorders at the University of Cardiff in Wales. Analyzing factors such as the weather, debt and low motivational levels, Arnall found that Jan. 24 is the most depressing day of the year (as reported on Msnbc.com). Our inability to keep our New Year’s resolutions is part of the problem. While many start the new year with ambitious goals for improving their health, most break those resolutions just six or seven days in.
Of course, this failure to commit to healthy behaviours has physical as well as mental implications—concerns that are particularly worrisome in light of new data from Statistics Canada showing that Canadians today are much less fit than previous generations.
For example, between 2007 and 2009, 37% of adults were considered overweight and 24% were obese. The decline in fitness and increase in weight were especially alarming in the age 20 to 39 group. Based on waist circumference, the percentage at high risk for health problems has more than quadrupled from 1981 to 2009.
In the past, we Canadians may have felt a bit superior about our active lifestyles and disinclination to supersize, particularly compared with our southern neighbours. But it seems we, too, are on a slippery slope to obesity, high blood pressure and other health issues.
We’ll have to find ways to get moving if we want to stop that slide. Those who enjoy outdoor sports such as skiing or skating have a leg up on the rest, but just taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking to work regularly, if it’s feasible, can help. Some employers even have on-site gyms, making it more convenient for employees to fit exercise into their schedules.
It’s hard to get motivated when the weather’s lousy and the days seem short and dark. But for 2010, perhaps we should work on increasing our fitness levels instead of our waistlines.
Alyssa Hodder is Editor of Benefits Canada.
alyssa.hodder@rci.rogers.com
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© Copyright 2010 Rogers Publishing Ltd. This article first appeared in the February 2010 edition of BENEFITS CANADA magazine.