Mar 10
8
Permanent weight loss strategy #2: Get moving!
How would it feel to spend some quality time taking care of yourself on a regular basis? Luxurious! Awesome! Amazing! Loving! Yes, all of these things and many more. Improving the way you take care of your health improves the way you take care of others, as well as the way you take care of the business of everyday life.
Scheduling exercise into your daily calendar and making it a top priority is not only a key component in living a happy, healthy lifestyle, it is also required for permanent weight loss. And don’t think that, just because you’re over 50, it’s too late to start. It is never more important than in this stage of life to take care of your body as well as your spirit.
I like to think of exercise as a necessary luxury. It is absolutely necessary. Attempting to lose weight without exercise will result in exactly the same negative chain of events as trying to lose weight too quickly by eating too few calories: slowed metabolism, muscle loss, weight loss plateau, loss of motivation, and eventually additional weight gain. Exercise can also be luxurious, when you take the time to creatively combine it with other wonderful things you also want and need to be doing for yourself.
The Centers for Disease Control’s current recommendation for weight loss and weight loss maintenance is 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days of the week. That’s a lot of exercise, so wouldn’t it be fabulous and smart to combine it with some of the following luxurious activities:
- Spending 60 minutes with your best girlfriends
- Spending 60 minutes with your significant other
- Spending 60 minutes absolutely alone
- Spending 60 minutes listening to books on tape
- Spending 60 minutes listening to your favorite opera or composer
- Spending 60 minutes in silence, focused on your breath and clearing mental chatter
- Spending 60 minutes in nature; seeing, touching, and listening to the natural world
- Spending 60 minutes sorting through a nagging problem
- Spending 60 minutes focused on all that you are grateful for
As a wellness coach, personal trainer and gym owner, I have witnesses hundreds of weight loss success stories (including my own), and not one of these successes occurred without exercise being a major component of the weight loss program. You will find it is much easier to make time for exercise and move it to the top of your priority list when first; you acknowledge its necessity and then take the time to combine it with other joyful and fulfilling activities.
Helpful Practices
Pace yourself: When it comes to adding exercise or increasing the amount of exercise you do, go slowly. Doing too much too soon is not only painful, but could also result in injury. Remember the pleasure principle – if it is pleasurable you will do it, but if it is painful you will avoid it at all costs.
Spice it up — variety is important: You will get fit faster and lose more weight if you keep your body guessing by participating in multiple types of exercise: walking, swimming, biking, jogging, rowing, yoga, pilates, spinning, weight training, and cardio classes. Make it a goal to try a new kind of exercise each month.
Stretch, Stretch, Stretch: Flexibility is important so stretch a little bit every day.
Get professional assistance: If you are new to exercise or just feel uncomfortable with the whole idea, get some professional assistance. Join a club or class, or hire a personal trainer (group training rates can make it affordable for everyone).
Whether you love exercise or loathe it, lifelong radiant health and wellness is dependent on your dedication to taking care of yourself through daily exercise. (See also Vibrant Health Through Movement ) Exercise is a luxurious necessity: get moving, have fun and be well.
