Did you know one of the biggest differences I have made that contributed to my weight loss has been based on simple activities that I do from day-to day. Sure the trips to the gym are important but activities such as using the stairs, walking to places that are only a short distance away, and just trying to do things more quickly has made a huge impact to my activity level. You might be asking yourself “how much of a difference it could it possibly make”. Well lets just say that on my iPhone, I placed a pedometer app to track my movements daily; the difference in the number of steps I took per day just by making sure I walked to the nearest stairwell to take the stairs to my destination increased by 10%. I did it when seeing patients at their home, in the mall, etc. After seeing that, I took it upon myself to “walk” more and now when I try to get to a place that is only a few blocks away, I make it a point to walk when i the past I would normally drive. This has resulted in a 20-25% increase in my daily number of steps.
So why do I think this is important? Well, first of all, it is something EVERYONE can do… you don’t need a gym or a personal trainer! This alone should start to improve your cardiovascular health as well as strengthen you muscles especially if you climb stairs regularly or if you need to go up hills or inclined roadways. Try it a see how much it will make a difference.
UPDATE: A quick update on my progress; well I’ve lost a total of 32 pounds now and tracking my Auto CPAP pressure from the end of January to the end of February, the trends have decreased from 10 – 10.5 cmH2O to 8.5 – 9.5 cmH2O. To put it into perspective, I used to be on a constant CPAP pressure of 14 cmH2O for the past 9 years! It’s been a huge improvement in not just the way I feel but also in the irritation of my sinuses; with the lower pressures, I do not get as congested even with a lack of humidification at times and the overall therapy feels more comfortable in general. I’ve posted my stats below for everyone to see. Thanks!
Filed under: CPAP Therapy, Sleep, Sleep Apnea, Tips Tagged: | improve sleep apnea, OSA and weight loss, Sleep apnea and weight loss, Treatment options for OSA
