Reflection Paper On Exercise

In this reflection paper, I will discuss my thoughts on the tracker sheets, my dietary habits, my exercise habits, and the changes I plan to make in my life because of this assignment. Initially, the tracking sheets were great tools to learn with. The simple act of writing down what I ate or how I exercised was a major step. Often times, people do not remember what they ate for lunch or if they exercised on a given day, but the tracking sheet ensured that I would remember. The tracking sheets gave me an honest and objective perspective of how I actually ate and exercised. I believe that sometimes people are not honest with their dietary habits or exercising, but the tracker challenged me personally because it presented the truth. The truth …show more content…
In all honesty, I do not eat very healthy. For example, in one week alone, I ate Chick Fil A four times. I’m certainly not a health doctor, but I know that eating Chick Fil A so much can be very problematic and dangerous to my health. I did a little research and learned that those who eat large amounts of fried foods, no matter how well they exercise, are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease (Harvard, Link). One would assume that the previous fact would be common sense, but what shocked me is that exercise did not make a difference in the development of diabetes or heart disease. This was a wakeup call to myself to eat better and limit the amount of fast food I eat in a given month. Besides learning more about my dietary habits, the tracker taught me a lot about how much and how often I …show more content…
In all honesty, I did not exercise as intensely or as long on days I did not have class. For example, the days where I exercised longer than 15 minutes would be on Tuesday and Thursday. This showed me that I’m not as active as I pictured myself to be. Often, people create the self-image that they are healthy and in shape because they aren’t overweight or underweight, but having a good body mass index (BMI) doesn’t mean you’re in shape. Also, the tracker sheet showed me that on days that I would exercise more, I would skip breakfast. This is problematic habit and noticing this trend challenged me to eat breakfast more. I also learned that the Alaska health department reported that regular exercise can help reduce the risk of: developing obesity, developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. They also reported that regular exercise “helps build and maintain healthy bones and muscles” and “promotes psychological well-being”. These facts might seem like common sense at first glance, but I know most people do not know the benefits of regular