February 12, 2012
Drop the remote – let’s go!
After a long time as a couch potato, getting started with physical activity can be a battle.
The first thing is to look at all the positives of getting active and staying active:
- It helps in removal of body fat and the old spare tyre around your waistline.
- It’s a natural stress buster.
- It helps to control your blood cholesterol. It reduces the ‘bad’ cholesterol while increasing the ‘good’ cholesterol in your blood.
- It gives your heart a good workout, helping to keep it pumping strong.
- It increases muscle mass.
- It reduces the risk of developing some diseases and can add years to your life.
- It can assist in boosting your self-esteem, a better body image.
- It helps to keep your bowel habits regular.
- It gives you the opportunity to meet new friends – and for bachelors, even possibly a new girl friend ;)
- It helps you to sleep better – so you’ll feel more refreshed and lively throughout the day.
- It’s great for your bones – helping to keep them strong.
- It can help to maintain strength, stamina, flexibility– all things that we tend to lose with age.
Is your goal to lose body fat or to simply gain muscle? Or is it a combination of both? If you want to lose the extra weight, then cardio workouts are the thing for you. The best types of cardio workouts for fat loss include ‘exercise like fast walking, jogging, aerobics, football, squash, and so on. For a safe and effective weight training program see a gym instructor or a personal trainer rather than designing your own.
Carrying a spare tyre (excess fat) around your middle is a burden on one of our most important internal organs – the heart. So, if you get rid of the bulge, you’ll be happy
This includes things like walking around the office, taking the stairs instead of the lift and getting off the couch to change the TV channels instead of using the remote, Remember – every little bit counts!
Think beyond the gym. ….like taking the dog for a walk or jog counts as physical activity. So if the gym is not your scene, try and think of what you really like doing and just do it. The most important thing is to move your body, and have fun while doing it.
Find an exercise buddy. An exercise buddy can help you get motivated and keep motivated. You will both benefit from the partnership.
Decrease the calories you eat. Find the extra calories in your diet and cut back on them. Skip high calorie snacks like chips, cheese, and cookies. Snack on vegetables instead. Skip soda or juice drinks and drink water instead. Cut back on high calorie foods at meals such as meat or cheese - add more vegetables. Go easy on fast foods - eat home-made food.
Be consistent and you’ll see results!
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