The term "bookworm" conjures up images for someone lying around, muscles languid, occasionally sighing or taking a sip of tea.  But this doesn't have to be the true picture --- and for many people, it's not! 

While it's hard to put down a good book, it's easy to make even voracious reading a part of a healthy lifestyle.  Here are some ideas on making regular activity, healthy food choices, and stress management fit into a bookworm's day. 

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Regular activity 
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It's a fact that people who do regular physical activity ( 20 to 30 minutes a day in their training heart rate zone at least 3 times a week ) can reduce the risk of several diseases; lose excess weight; lower the risk of depression, anxiety, and stress; and improve self-image.  People who exercise regularly have more energy, sleep better, feel better about themselves, and have better sex lives!  Research shows that any type of activity is beneficial for people who tend to be sedentary. 

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Healthy Activity Guide 
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1.  Read while exercising.  Take a book to the health club and read it while riding a stationary bike.  
      Be sure to warm up and cool down. 
2.  Read in bed when you'd be lying down anyway. 
3.  Overlap activities.  Listen to an audio book while driving. 
4.  Share your book with a spouse or good friend.  Take turns reading to each other. 
5.  Turn off the TV.  Read instead. 
6.  Combine reading with an activity.  Walk or ride your bike to a nearby park and read. 
7.  Balance the activities in your day.  If you must read for two hours straight, be sure to counter  
      the physical inactivity with a long walk. 

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Healthy Eating 
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Studies have shown that North Americans have been gaining weight over the past 10 to 15 years --- about eight pounds per person!  The key to weight control is keeping the amount of food you eat in balance with the amount of physical activity you do.  If you take in more calories than your body needs, you'll put on excess fat.  If you consume 100 calories a day more than your body needs, you'll gain about 10 pounds per year.  The combination of exercise and healthy diet offers the most flexible and effective approach to weight control. 

Choose as wide a variety of foods and beverages as possible --- a healthy balance of grain products, vegetables, fruit, milk products, and meat and alternatives. 

Next time you sit down with your favourite book, be sure to bring along a bowl of healthy ( low-fat and low-sugar ) snacks:  pretzels, cheese and crackers, rice cakes, sherbet, popcorn without added butter, carrot sticks, or radishes. 

Written by:  Ylva Ban Buuren 
  

Remember that relaxation is an element of healthy living, too.  Sometimes reading for reading is the most important thing you can do. 
 

A body becomes physically stressed with bad posture habits.  Sitting puts a lot of pressure on the lower back, so good posture is not just a matter of making you look and feel better.  It also distributes pressure so it does not add stress to your back. 

~~~  Keep your shoulders back with your head centred over them.  Knees should be higher than your  
          hips with feet flat on the floor or up on a stool.  Cross your legs at the ankles, not at the knees. 

~~~  Choose a chair that firmly supports your lower back.  Arm rests help because they can support  
          some weight, especially when you're shifting position. 

~~~  Prop up books if possible. 

~~~  Sitting for long periods --- even with the very best posture --- can become uncomfortable.  
          Be sure to stand up every once in a while and do some stretches. 

~~~  Avoid reading with your chin on the chest or your neck tilted backwards.  Intense concentration  
          combined with hunched shoulders, tends to cause tight neck muscles.