Let’s Get Active

Most people agree, exercise is good for you.  However, did you know that 80% of adults over the age of 25 do not regularly do it?  The reasons why we aren’t exercising varies.  Many of us think that exercise only consists of playing sports, lifting weights, going to the gym, or running.  Some of us think it physically hurts too much, is too time consuming, or we absolutely need someone to do it with.  Some of us even think that we are so out of shape that it wouldn’t be worth it or it would be too embarrassing because we might not be good at it.  Well, not all of these are true.  Exercise can be as easy as walking to water fountain at work that is just a little further away than the sink, or using the push mower rather than the rider.  Everybody has to start somewhere.

Exercise will help you lose weight because you’re burning calories.  Exercise may also help you gain strength, feel better about your body, think clearer, help you control your appetite, and help raise your metabolism.  There are studies that even show that exercise can help you live longer.  These are all fantastic reasons why you should exercise.  NuYou suggests adding exercise to your maintenance program to help ensure that you maintain your healthy weight.  (Remember, while it’s true that exercise helps you burn calories, you will never burn enough to cover eating an entire large pepperoni & sausage pizza or a dozen donuts.)

Make muscle, not Fat.  People who are more physically fit have more muscle tissue.  Muscle tissue is active tissue, which means that it helps burn more calories.  Fat tissue just keeps getting fatter.  The benefit of having all that active muscle tissue is you will continue to burn calories, even on days when you can’t exercise.

Exercise to help you feel better.  People often fear the pain related to exercising.  Sure, you may feel sore at the beginning of any new exercise regimen.  But then, you have to admit it, you do actually feel better.  It’s part body, and it’s part mental.  Because you’re doing something healthy for your heart, your body benefits and feels better.  While you exercise, you’re releasing endorphin’s, which means you’re actually releasing a chemical into your brain which fights stress, then in turn your mind feels better.  When your mind and body are in sync, you can’t help but feel good.  Reward yourself.  Exercise is a gift, not a punishment.

Exercise to gain control.  When your life seems out of control and you feel the need to eat to compensate, Stop.  Change course, exercise.  You’ll develop the confidence of handling life’s ups and downs a little bit better.  You’ll sense you are your body’s master, instead of the other way around.  Research shows exercise regulates appetite.  It turns it down before meals and raises metabolism after meals, so you burn calories at a greater rate.  You‘ll be in more control over your food cravings.

Thin people can eat more.  Do you ever notice when you are out to eat that the thinnest people are eating the most?  It may be because their metabolism is raised from exercise.  People who are constantly dieting and then not dieting, may suffer a 20% reduction in their metabolic rate.  This means weight loss becomes increasingly difficult on fewer calories.  The body is always in a state of conservation mode.  It doesn’t want to give up any fat, until you start exercising.  Then the metabolism will normalize and reduce the chances of this happening again.

Exercise to be successful.  If you want to be a winner at the weight loss maintenance game, you should exercise.  Studies have shown that dieters lose weight and keep it off when they diet and then exercise, rather than dieting only.

Exercise for a healthy heart.  A regular exercise program helps your heart, blood vessels, and lungs work better to circulate oxygen and other nutrients.  Your bad cholesterol, triglycerides (a type of fat) glucose (blood sugar), and blood pressure may decrease.  Your heart healthy HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol may increase which lowers your risk of heart disease.  You may feel more agile and have increased stamina and endurance to tackle the tasks you avoided while being overweight.

Exercise for a positive self-image.  Exercise may help you feel more self-confident about yourself and your accomplishments.  The positivism will help improve your outlook on your life.  You’ll want to look good, feel good, and respond to everything around you.  This includes the family, friends and events that you avoided while heavy in the past.

Simple ways to increase your activity levels;

• Park your car further away from your destination and walk.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator, every chance you get.
• Don’t ask others to complete tasks for you that you know you can do for yourself.
• Put away the remote control, and stand up and manually change the channel.
• When cleaning or doing yard work, put in a little extra effort.
• Take a walk during your lunch break and/or after dinner.
• Manually wash your dishes, dry them off and put them away immediately rather than using the dishwasher.