If you love to gamble, you may be thinking that weight loss and muscle health will have to wait. Maybe you will worry about your health when you strike it big.

What if you can work on keeping healthy and fit while you are gambling — either online or in the casino? Here are some suggestions for keeping healthy and fit while you are enjoying your favorite pastime.

Why You Can’t Be Sedentary

Research has shown all adults must be active for at least 30 minutes a day. This is true no matter what your age, level of activity, or weight. Adults who are sedentary and don’t move around are at a higher risk for all sorts of health complications. Inactive people have a higher risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, and strokes than people who move around. Also, people who are active are less likely to suffer from dementia. The less you move around, the greater your chances are of developing Type 2 diabetes. You are also at a higher risk for hip, knee, and shoulder replacement surgeries. This could stop you from gambling for quite a while.

If this research worries you, there are some things you can do to make sure you’re moving around. You can still gamble and enjoy it, but there are ways to incorporate healthy eating and exercise into your day.

Need Exercise? Get Creative

If you look hard enough, there are plenty of interesting ways you can get fit while gambling. If you are playing or placing bets online from your home, work some periods of exercise into your day. One man was able to ride a stationary bike that allowed him to continue gambling while getting fit. Another gambler worked in an entire exercise routine while he gambled during the day. For example, before he began his next spin or his next game, he did a series of exercises. During one break, he would take 10 minutes to walk around in his house. During his next break, he did leg exercises. When he took another break, he did sit-ups. If you do some thinking, there are ways you can work in exercise daily if you are gambling at home.

What if you play at a casino? That’s not a problem. You can fit in some exercise before you visit the casino. Think of the casino trip as your reward for exercising, for example. Once you walk for 30 minutes or visit the gym, you could, then, visit your favorite gambling hotspot. Work toward being physically active for a half-hour each day. You get creative all the time while you gamble because you have to think of strategies to win. Use some of that creativity to work in some exercise.

Take Some Breaks — It Might Make You a Better Player

Do you gamble at home, at a casino or at a sportsbook? No matter where you gamble, you need to take a break every once in a while. By taking a break, you allow yourself some exercise. You also allow yourself an opportunity to give your brain a break. Research has shown that people who take breaks in between their gambling play are more successful players overall.

When you are at the casino, it is easy to lose track of time. In fact, that’s exactly how the casinos want it. The designs of casinos prohibit players from knowing what time it is. There aren’t any clocks in casinos. The lighting is dim as well. Casinos want you to stay for hours with no break. The reason is, they believe, you’ll lose money that way. If you take a break and walk around for a while, there are benefits to your brain. You may come back with a clearer head and be a better player.

Posture

Something as simple as walking around and changing your posture can have an effect on your concentration. It may make you less sleepy. It could help you think more clearly. It could also help reduce eye strain, which can lead to serious headaches and neck pain.

If you can, take a break from your game and stretch your arms and legs. Your posture (and eyes) will thank you for it.

Eating Right

This may sound a bit like your mother, but are you eating properly? Do you balance your diet with whole grains, fruits, and veggies? Or, is your idea of a good meal anything you can eat while you’re standing up in front of a slot machine? Are you sitting or standing at home or at a casino for hours? Are you quickly gulp food down? If so, that’s not good for your digestion. It’s also not good for your waistline. Be sure that when you do eat at the casino, you are eating salad bar fruits and veggies. Nearly all casinos have healthy options you can try.

If you are gambling at home, you could take a break and eat something healthy. Toss out those sugary, salty snacks that are ultra-processed, and focus on healthier food choices. There are all kinds of healthy foods you can eat on the go. You can choose healthy food, such as smoothies, eggs, and cheese. You could even make a healthy sandwich choice, such as peanut butter.

Don’t Be That Guy

We know you have heard the story about the guy who stayed at his computer for days gambling. While he played, he drank nothing but Red Bull. He didn’t eat. He didn’t sleep. He didn’t go to the bathroom. Instead, he nearly died — from sitting in his chair too long.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Water is so good for you, and we don’t get enough of it. Don’t like the taste of water? There are lots of things you can add to it to help you drink more of it. No, we’re not talking about sugary, flavored drinks. We’re talking about water with fruit added in, or with a flavor, such as lemonade — without too much added sugar. Some people like the taste of coconut water as well. All these options give you some variety without empty calories.

Moderation

Many people refuse to start dieting or exercising. They think they will have to give up gambling in order to change their lifestyles. However, changing your life can begin with small, important steps. You can commit to being physically active for 30 minutes a day. This means you walk for a half-hour daily, or that you walk three times a day for 10 minutes. This may sound small, but, over time, it adds up to something big. Want to eat pizza at the pizza buffet at your favorite casino? Go ahead. Have a salad at lunch, decide how many slices of pizza you are going to have — then, stick with it. Over time, all these small choices mean you will look and feel better.

Also, when it’s your birthday — have the cake — and the ice cream. Celebrations make life fun. If you practice moderation, you will be able to maintain a healthier lifestyle — and stay around a lot longer. That way, you can win big more than once. And, who in his or her right mind doesn’t want that?

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