Athletes vs Couch Potatoes Essay -- Health Diet Exercise

For many years, I’ve have been labeled as a couch potato due to my laziness and my lack of a healthy diet. Throughout my childhood, I had very few friends and I stayed inside my house, most of the time. I was always into sports, but I never got to actually join a team and play with my friends because I never enjoyed moving around. I never liked to run, skip, or jump because I was 20 lbs. overweight and I hated sweating due to the sweltering heat. I enjoyed sitting in the couch all day, doing nothing but watching T.V, eating junk food, playing video games, and watching the day go by. However, I needed to change my life around, so I joined the gym, started to eat vegetables and white meat, instead of chips, cookies, or other junk food, and I exercised daily. I was proud by the results at the end because I felt healthy, fit, and much more energetic. Many former couch potatoes have become athletes because they adopt active lifestyles and eat healthier. Unfortunately, some people fall into the trap of a sedentary lifestyle and maintain it that way. They stay sitting around, sleeping, eating junk, or watching T.V. Athletes look forward to be involved in physical activities, while couch potatoes let life go by. Due to differences in lifestyle, physical activity and health, athletes are healthier and much more energetic than couch-loving counter-parts. Athletes live a more active lifestyle than their couch laying counter-parts. They are either gifted with physical talents or they train extensively to improve balance, strength, and flexibility by exercising. Most Athletes go to the gym about 2-3 times a week and do about 1-2 hours of cardio to improve their heart rate and maximize fat-burning. They get up early in the morning or go o... ...† Nature Publishing Group 28 January 2009. 27 October 2010 http://www.nature.com/nrcardio/index.html â€Å"Why can a trained athlete run a marathon, but a couch potato cannot run half a mile?† Discovery Communications Inc. n.d. 27 October 2010 http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/information/question485.htm J. Anderson, L. Young and S. Prior â€Å"Nutrition for the Athlete†. 2010 Colorado State University Extension. 12 May 2010. 26 October 2010 http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09362.html Albanesius, Chloe â€Å"More Than Half of U.S. Adults Play Video Games† Ziff Davis, Inc. 08 Dec. 08. 27 Oct. 10. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2336392,00.asp Lifestyle â€Å"Health Effects of a Sedentary Lifestyle† LifeMojo Health Solutions Pvt Ltd. n.d. 26 October 2010. http://www.lifemojo.com/lifestyle/health-effects-of-a-sedentary-lifestyle-44282279#ixzz14A8O9cyZ