Are You Still Reading This? Don’t let this post title scare you!
Unfortunately many of us take the all-or-nothing approach when it comes to physical activity. We feel like if we are not doing an hour of physical activity a day every day then it is hopeless and we should just give up. Well that’s just plain wrong!
You Have to Start Somewhere – Lose Weight Faster with Exercise
The best weight loss tip you will ever get is that being healthy and getting to and maintaining a healthy body is about everyday living not following a plan for a few weeks and giving up. When it comes to physical activity there is so much more than just the time you invest at the gym. Especially if you are non-active person, you have to start changing your thinking about your level of activity and focus on the things you are doing and forget about the things you think you should be doing or didn’t do today. Even small amounts of activity throughout the day all adds up.
Walking The Easiest Activity
Increase walking throughout your day. Walk the dog, walk your kids to school, park at the back of the parking lot, or take the stairs instead of the escalator. Find an opportunity to walk and seize it. Don’t worry about how fast, how long or how far, just move!
Join a Group Activity
Finding activity buddies doesn’t have to be as hard as you think. Your local recreation center just may have an organized group activity right in your neighborhood. You can meet new people and add more activity to your life. Check out your city or town’s website or look for a parks and recreation pamphlet with a list of seasonal activities available in your area. Most of these local activities are subsidized by your property taxes – and therefore your city or town. It can be a cost-effective alternative to the gym.
A Little Bit Goes a Long Way
You don’t have to reserve hours of your day, start small, just 10 minutes of activity and then increase it. Three ten minute walks adds up to 30 minutes. Stop thinking about doing it all at once. Do you think a thin person does? Just start with moving, eventually if want or get caught by the activity bug, you can count the how long, how far and how fast but for now just move! Remember a 10 minute walk is more than you were doing before when you were sitting on the couch thinking about how you should walk more. By adding just that small walk you are already one step ahead to losing weight faster.
Do Activities You Like
Don’t bother forcing yourself to do activities you hate, you’ll be sitting back on the couch before you know it. Pick an activity you like, walk, run, do some work in the garden (you’ll be surprised at how many calories you can burn mowing the lawn or pulling weeds,) or put on some music and just dance around your house!
Find a Buddy
Share your new love for activity, take you husband out on a walk after dinner, walk or ride bikes with your kids, or even take a walking lunch! Find a co-worker at work and use your lunch hours to walk and share a little work gossip.
Just Do It!
Nike has something with that phrase. Get out there and get active. Regular physical activity is a great way to increase your energy, reduce stress, help with weight management, improves sleep and protects your body from diseases.
