The ABC of Weight Loss

Exercise and Weight Loss: How To Become More Active!

While diet can be difficult enough to address, sometimes the idea of changing our activity levels is the most difficult part of getting our health back. Though we know on some level that we need to get up and move around more, we live in a more sedentary society these days where activity isn’t necessary in order to get things done. We have desk jobs, telecommuting jobs, and we can shop on the internet. With all of these automated tasks, we don’t even need to leave our homes most of the time. But while these things may all seem convenient, they are also hurting our health as a society.
How To Increase Your Activity Every Day
Some fitness experts will lead you to believe that getting more exercise in your life means that you need to give up hours of your day in order to workout.

But this is not the case at all.

In truth, scientists are finding that ANY activity you add to a day will help your overall health and your overall calorie burn for the day.

Here are some ideas for increasing your activity each day:

• If you don’t have time to workout, try breaking up your longer workout
into three different parts – i.e. try walking for ten minutes in the
morning, ten minutes in the afternoon, and ten minutes in the
evening.
• Park your car far away from your location so that you have to walk a
further way to the building.
• Walk to the store instead of driving
• Take the stairs instead of the elevators and escalators
• Go for a walk on your lunch hour
• Try to move around every hour when you are working
• Do simple callisthenics when you are watching your favourite
programmes on television.
• Meet with friends to exercise instead of meeting them to eat
• Do active chores
• Take up a sport or join a team

You can probably think of even more ways to increase your exercise each day. Get creative with the ways you can begin to move more each day. Even buying a pedometer and trying to hit 10,000 steps each day will help to get you into better shape – even if it’s just walking from one side of the room to the other.
Ideas For Exercise
When you’re new to exercise, you might want to have a few ideas for activities that you can do on a regular basis. But before you begin, determining the kinds of exercises you might like is essential for matching you up with activities you will actually stick with for a long time.

Ask yourself:

Do you like to see results quickly?
• Running
• Aerobics Classes
• Personal training services

Do you like to workout alone?
• Running
• Yoga
• Exercise videos
• Walking
• Biking
• Swimming

Do you like to workout with others?
• Fitness centres
• Sports teams
• Exercise groups

Do you like harder, more strenuous workouts?
• Running
• Racing
• Biking long distances
• Event training
• Intervals
• Circuit training

Are you competitive?
• Training for an athletic event
• Sports

What sports do you like?
• Football
• AFL
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Softball
• Rugby

What activities have you enjoyed in the past?

Do you like to be outside?
• Hiking
• Walking
• Running
• Sports

Do you like to be indoors?
• Fitness centres
• Fitness videos

Do you have any physical limitations – per your doctor?

These questions will help you determine which activities are best suited to you.

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