Empowering Resolutions: Weight Loss and Exercise

[Guest guest]

Good Morning!

 

This month we will be keeping tabs on your New Years Resolutions, in

order to empower you, help you to stay on track and give you some

great tips for keeping your promise to yourself.

 

 

Empowering Resolutions: Weight Loss and Exercise

 

Exercise is crucial to successful weight loss. Not only does it help

burn excess calories, but by increasing your physical activity you

can modify the way your brain regulates hunger, making you less

susceptible to food cravings.

 

Consider power walking, aerobics, swimming or any cardiovascular

exercise that you do consistently for 20-40 minutes. It is important

to keep the heart rate up in your target zone during this time in

order for cardio exercise to work effectively.

 

Stimulate your metabolism. Adding weight training and/or

cardiovascular exercise to your routine will boost your metabolism.

Cardio will burn extra calories while you're doing it. Resistance

training will actually increase the rate at which your body uses

calories.

 

Exercise during the day to exhaust the muscles and the mind. The

moving is good when we are depressed too! Aerobics, power walking,

weight training, swimming are all great for working the muscles and

the mind. Exercise gets the blood flowing and makes us move past many

issues.

 

Exercise early in the day. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every

day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or

afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before

bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.

 

See a doctor before starting any kind of exercise program if you have

never exercised before or have any other illnesses.

 

Exercise Tips for Weight Loss

 

By increasing lifestyle activities each day, try doing four 10-minute increases

at least five days a week. The idea is to just do more of what you are already

doing. Here are some great ideas on getting motivated:

 

*Walk, don't drive.

 

*Take the stairs at the office — not the elevator.

 

*Play with your kids instead of watching them play.

 

*Bike to the store.

 

*Stretch while you watch TV.

 

*Get up from the sofa to change the channel. Channel surfers get

quite a workout.

 

*Park at the opposite end of the mall from where you're headed.

 

*If you've got an exercise bike at home, peddle away for 5 minutes while you're

talking on the phone or waiting for the washing machine

to finish.

 

*Walk the treadmill while watching a favorite TV program.

 

*Listen to music and dance your way through housecleaning.

 

*Start slow — a few minutes at first. Then, pick up the pace and go longer.

 

*Workout clothes are not necessary, but wear good walking shoes.

 

*Don't let missing a few days become your excuse to quit.

 

*Even if you miss a few days, you won't lose all the benefits you've gained.

 

*Be flexible. Do what you can when you can.

 

*Take advantage of opportunities. If you're watching your child's soccer game,

walk around the field.

 

*Playing golf? Skip the cart.

 

*Find a partner. Climbing stairs at the office will be far more interesting if

you chat away the minutes with a co-worker.

 

*Instead of building your life around exercise, build exercise around your life.

 

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac

http://peacefulmind.com/exercise.htm

Therapies for healing

mind, body, spirit