Exercise Tips
by Vivian Barron, MS
Whether you are a regular exerciser or just thinking about starting an
exercise program, good for you! Exercise relieves tension and stress,
stimulates the mind, helps to maintain a healthy weight, improves muscle
tone and strength, increases your energy, helps you to sleep, lowers
blood pressure, increases good cholesterol, prevents type 2 diabetes,
improves flexibility, controls appetite, can help you meet new people and
provides fun!
Look at the list above and review any reasons above that motivate you to
exercise. Are there others?
Choose an exercise you will like. You are more likely to succeed if you
enjoy what you are doing.
Think outside the box. Don’t just think about jogging, swimming, biking or
joining a gym. Dancing, gardening, yoga with a videotape, even
housecleaning count as exercise too.
Embarrassed? Many people feel awkward or unattractive when starting a
new exercise program. Be proud of yourself for taking control of your
health and your life. Don’t let extra weight or poor performance get in the
way of starting!
Start small. Your goal is eventually to exercise about 30 minutes most
days. But if you are just starting out, ten minutes three times a week might
be all you are ready to do. It is more important to succeed at an easy goal
than to set an ambitious goal only to fail … so make small, progressive
steps towards your exercise goals.
Get ready to start your program by thinking about barriers that might get
in your way. Do you need new walking shoes, air in your bicycle tires or a
list of exercise classes in your community? Do you need video tapes or
CD’s to entertain you? Will you need childcare or a better baby stroller?
What will you do on rainy days or when the weather is too hot to exercise
outdoors?
Get support. Make a plan to exercise with a friend. Tell others about your
exercise goals and ask them cheer you on. Consider classes or groups
so that you have company to keep you entertained. Involve your
coworkers, spouse or children. Children are more likely to exercise (and
to eat right) if their parents do.
Write your plan down and post it where you can see it. Write the reason
you want to exercise on your plan as well.
Harder is not better. Pain is not gain. If you want to improve your fitness,
try exercising longer (up to an hour at a time), not more strenuously.

Choosing the right type of exercise
Any kind of exercise is good for you unless you have a health problem
that prevents certain activities. If you have an injury or a chronic health
condition, check with your doctor for guidelines about exercising safely.
Aerobic exercises (exercises which get your heart pumping faster)
condition your heart, lungs and muscles and also help with weight loss.
Outdoor exercise is particularly good for combating depression and PMS.
Remember to protect yourself from the sun and to drink lots of water
when you exercise outside.
Lifting weights strengthens muscles (and muscles burn more calories
than fat) and help you look more "toned." Any "antigravity" exercise, even
walking or exercising in a chair, strengthens bones and helps to prevent
osteoporosis.
Stretching exercises like yoga and tai chi can help with balance and
chronic pain and are generally very relaxing (although some forms of
yoga are aerobic as well.)
Warm up and cool down
The first five minutes of an exercise should consist of stretches or of
doing the activity at a slow pace to allow your muscles to warm up. End
your exercise with a cool down. Again, do the activity very slowly for the
last five minutes or add some stretches at the end of the activity.
The Positive Weight Loss Approach
Once you have made up your mind to lose weight, you should make that
commitment and go into it with a positive attitude. We all know that losing
weight can be quite a challenge. In fact, for some, it can be downright
tough.
It takes time, practice and support to change lifetime habits. But it's a
process you must learn in order to succeed. It is said that if you do
something for 21 days it will become a habit. You and you alone are the
one who has the power to lose unwanted pounds.
Think Like a Winner
Think like a winner, and not a loser - - remember that emotions are like
muscles and the ones you use most grow the strongest. If you always
look at the negative side of things, you'll become a downbeat, pessimistic
person.
Even slightly negative thoughts have a greater impact on you and last
longer than powerful positive thoughts.
Negative thinking doesn't do you any good, it just holds you back from
accomplishing the things you want to do. When a negative thought
creeps into your mind, replace it reminding yourself that you're
somebody, you have self-worth and you possess unique strengths and
talents.
Contemplate what lies ahead of you. Losing weight is not just about diets.
It's about a whole new you and the possibility of creating a new life for
yourself.
Investigate the weight loss programs that appeal to you and that you feel
will teach you the behavioral skills you need to stick with throughout the
weight-loss process.
First you should look for support among family and friends. It can be an
enormous help to discuss obstacles and share skills and tactics with
others on the same path.
You might look for this support from others you know who are in weight
loss programs and you can seek guidance from someone you know who
has lost weight and kept it off.
There are success stories across the country today on television and in
newspapers, magazines and tabloids about people who have
miraculously lost untold pounds and kept it off. In all instances they say
their mental attitude as well as their outlook on life has totally changed.
Learning New Skills
Diets and weight loss programs are more flexible now than they once
were and there are many prepared foods already portioned out. They are
made attractive and can be prepared in a matter of minutes. Low-fat and
low-calorie foods are on shelves everywhere.
You will probably need to learn new, wiser eating skills. You will want a
weight loss regimen that gives you some control, rather than imposing
one rigid system. Look for one that offers a variety of different eating
plans, so you can choose the one that's best for you.
Keep in mind, too, that your weight loss program will most likely include
some physical exercises. Look at the exercising aspect of your program
as fun and recreation and not as a form of grueling and sweaty work.
The fact is that physical fitness is linked inseparable to all personal
effectiveness in every field. Anyone willing to take the few simple steps
that lie between them and fitness will shortly begin to feel better, and the
improvement will reflect itself in every facet of their existence.
Doctors now say that walking is one of the best exercises. It helps the
total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect
on your overall feeling of health. There are things such as aerobics,
jogging, swimming and many other exercises which will benefit a weight
loss program.