Exercising and Diet for Weight Loss
Obesity is now being called an epidemic in the health community. In fact, it will soon be the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, even ahead of cigarette smoking. Obesity leads to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke and even an increased risk of cancer. With all of these health threats, as well as the overall improvement in the quality of life that can occur, weight loss is one of the smart things that you can do for yourself.
No matter what we think, there simply isn’t a magic solution to losing weight. The body will get rid of excess fat when it needs more calories to work through the demands you place on it in a given day than the amount of calories that you feed it. It’s that obvious. So, in order to lose weight, you have to decrease the number of calories that you consume as well as increase the amount that you burn.
There is a wide range of options to choose from when looking for a weight loss program. All of them often spend a lot of time explaining what to eat, in what amounts and even at what times or in what mix. But few of them emphasize the importance of exercise – not just for losing weight, but for your general health and wellbeing. Exercise is vital when trying to lose weight for several reasons:
Firstly, as you start to eat less, your metabolism will slow down somewhat. Exercising helps to bring your metabolism back to a high and effective level.Secondly, as mentioned, exercise burns more calories so that you can lose weight faster and stay motivated in your efforts.Third, exercise actually secretes endorphins, chemicals that keep your mood high.
Exercise doesn’t have to mean spending hours at the gym or going through exhausting exercises. In fact, in order for you to stick with it for a long period, exercising should be something that you look forward to. Begin by increasing your activity level in an overall way. Take the stairs when possible. Park further from the mall entrance when you go shopping. Go for a walk in the park or through a neighborhood you love and bring a dog or a friend along for company. Take dance or martial arts lessons.
Once you become more active in general, you’ll find it effortless to move into regular exercise. Which you’ll need to perform in order to get regular, noticeable health benefits. You need to increase your heart rate to a fat burning level and maintain it there for at least twenty minutes, three times or more a week. However, if you don’t like to go to a gym, there are other ways. Videos and DVDs are now available in all kinds of exercise regiments. That way you can change your routine whenever you want so that you don’t get bored with what you’re doing. Try a range of yoga, aerobics, kickboxing, or pretty much any exercise you want right in the comfort of your own home.
If you have health challenges that would keep you off from exercising, you can still find a way to increase your activity level. Water aerobics is a great alternative for those who have joint problems or limited mobility because it relieves the pressure on your body that your weight provides. But you do get the resistance to challenge your muscles from the water. There are even videos and classes available that let you exercise in a seated position.
Whatever kind of exercise you choose, it’s important to stay motivated and keep it fun. You can try gathering a group together to make it a social event. You can get get a pedometer, a device that tracks how far you walk, and see how many miles you can walk a week. Make a competition amongst your friends or family members and treat the winner with something special (no food please!). Make the experience of exercising something that you look forward to, and it will soon become a regular part of your healthier lifestyle.