By Tom Wingard

Attention Material

Thesis/ Overview

Motivation

Transition

Are you getting a bit tired of that three inch spare tire around your waist? Are you becoming increasingly lazy, fat?

I'd like to show you that we're all in need of exercise.  Now is the time to get started so that we can enjoy the health and psychological benefits the rest of our lives.

I'm assuming that none of you will argue that exercise is harmful.  You'll agree that exercise is beneficial. However, I'm not so sure all of us are actually exercising.  I'd like to tell you, then, not how to exercise, but to persuade you to go out and get some exercise

(First, I'd like to tell you why I'm so concerned about our inactivity.)

Problem:

(Internal summary)

Transition

I.  Lack of exercise is harmful to our health.

A.    Cardiovascular disease, the nation's leading cause of death, is caused by inactivity.

1.       Clogged arteries and veins are a result of inactivity.    (example)

2.       Excess fat also caused by inactivity leads to a higher incidence of heart disease.

(explanation and example)

(Statistically, then, you will die at an earlier age if  you do not exercise.)

(Now some of you might be wondering why I'm preaching to a bunch of 20 year olds.)

B.    College students are not as healthy as we are often lead to believe.

1.       High school seniors are in better health than we are.  (survey)

2.       We are on the threshold of decline as our level of activity drops.  (explanation)

C.    This change is correlated with the changes in our lifestyles that occur between high school and college.

1.       Most of us have less time to run around because we are studying more.  (explanation)

2.       Many of us have given up the sports we used to play competitively.  (example)

3.       Now that we're in college we have less motivation to exercise.  (explanation)

Internal summary

Transition

(The point here is that exercise for us must come from within.  But, statistically that hasn't been happening.)

(This point becomes increasingly significant as we realize that this stage in our lives is a primary force in determining our future behavior.)

Internal summary

Transition

D.       Our inactivity now may lead to inactivity later.

1.       Our choices in brand of beer will be carried on through the coming years.  (analogy)

2.       By being inactive now we are getting ourselves into a rut of being inactive.  This rut can be avoided, but it is difficult.  (explanation)

(I have shown you that by not exercising we are decreasing our life spans, and at this particular time in our lives we are especially vulnerable to becoming out of shape.  This may carry with us for years, until it is too late.

(A fair question to ask here is:  "What is so great about exercise?  If it's such a pain in the ass, it's not worth living a few more years."  To this I would respond that it isn't such a pain.)

Solution

Internal summary/ transition

II.  Exercise is not a large investment, but the yield is very high.  We should all exercise to take advantage of this.

A.    To exercise, you don't have to lift weights for hours on end or join the wrestling team. Exercise can take as little as 15 minutes a day. (statistic)

B.    One advantage of being healthy is that your body needs less sleep.  This may more than make up for the time it takes to exercise.  (explanation)

C.    Studies show exercise clears your thoughts so that you can be more efficient. (Testimony)

D.    Also, you'll feel better.

                                                   1.       When hurrying to class you won't get winded so easily.  (example)

2.       You won't get sick as easily since exercise increases the body's resistance.

(testimony and explanation)

E.    More important, however, are the effects on your body you don't feel.

1.       Increasing your cardiovascular strength increases your heart's stroke efficiency.   (testimony)

2.       Researchers at San Diego State have found that increases in exercise slow the onset of senility.  (testimony)

(If none of these facts impress you, keep in mind that exercise might make us look better and this might make girls take a little more notice of us.)

Attention material

Underview

Last Thought

Just as none of us wants to be called a fat slob by our mothers, none of us wants to die earlier than we should.

So, we should all get into the habit of exercising  regularly right now.  If all of us now begin a routine of staying in shape, keeping in mind that it will make us healthier, give us a better state of mind, and body, we can make the future years of our lives more rewarding.

And why wait for tomorrow?  Start today!