Exercise is not a luxury in West Des Moines IA. Movement is an essential nutrient.

You can't be healthy in West Des Moines IA, without movement. While movement is a vital part of being fit, there is more to being healthy than just 'being in shape'.

Our ancestors never had the option of just sitting down at a restaurant and ordering a nutritious dinner off of the menu. They had to hunt and gather for their food - every. single. meal.

The lack of calorie-burning activities required in today's society to hunt for food, compounded by the deficient food choices made on a daily basis is causing a disconnect.

There is a divide between securing calories (finding food) and consuming calories (eating food). This has created a devastating energy imbalance that has led to an obesity epidemic. This epidemic is at the root of our world's chronic illness crisis.

Aiding in the spread of obesity and disease is a lack of regular movement. Your genetic make-up can be thought of as a 'cellular blue print' for your health potential. Your genes were shaped over eons of time (thousands of generations) by environmental pressures and the choices that your ancestors made in order to adapt and survive these challenges.

An active lifestyle is a trait that all successful human beings had in common, and it is a critical concept to think of movement as a nutrient - just like water is critical to all aspects of cellular function, movement is also an essential element for health.

If your ancestors didn't move, they didn't eat. In fact, if they didn't move, they were eaten.

Today this is far from the case. Bottom Line: Your cells require and expect movement to be healthy. Our ancestors did not work out; they did not exercise - their existence was exercise. This is not the case with us. We must supplement our comparatively sedentary, movement-deficient modern lifestyles with exercise and activity.

The first place to start is to add activity to every area of your regular life.

• Best Practices include:
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Walking to school, or biking to work.
• Parking your car as far away from your destination

Remember, research shows that all activity is cumulative; it all adds up. In other words, three ten minute walks are the energy equivalent of one thirty minute walk so get to it!