How to Jumpstart Your Healthier Lifestyle
Spring is here, the weather is wonderful and it is time to get outside and jumpstart your healthier lifestyle program. Ask yourself this? How many times have you gone to sleep at night, swearing you’ll go to the gym in the morning, and then changing your mind just eight hours later because when you get up, you don’t feel like exercising? It is just too easy to snuggle down into that pillow and tell yourself that you will get out and take a walk after dinner. Or… you will get up in time tomorrow. Definitely too easy! While this can happen to the best of us, it doesn’t mean you should drop the ball altogether when it comes to staying fit. What people need to realize is that staying active and eating right are critical for long-term health and wellness — and that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. (There is a reason that phrase is part of our lexicon.) The more you know about how your body responds to your lifestyle choices, the better you can customize a nutrition and exercise plan that is right for you. When you eat well, increase your level of physical activity, and exercise at the proper intensity, you are transforming your body into a fat burning machine. In other words, proper eating habits plus exercise equals a better body composition, physical strength, increased aerobic capacity and overall fitness and health. Each time you engage in “isolation” resistance training with weights (yes ladies this is great for you too), your body responds by adding LBM (lean body mass) This extra lean body mass upgrades your body’s capabilities to burn fat throughout the day and night. During your weight training sessions, concentrate on the quality of the movement. More is not always better; better is better!! I recommend engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise four times per week for a minimum of 45 minutes per session and resistance training four times per week for at least 30 minutes per session. This balanced approach provides a one-two punch, incorporating aerobic fat burning cardiovascular exercise to burn fat and reduce inches all over your body. Here’s a sample exercise program that may work for you: When starting an exercise program, it is important to have realistic expectations. Depending on your initial fitness level, you should expect the following changes early on. Once you make the commitment to exercise several times a week, don’t stop there. You should also change your diet and/or eating habits. Try creating some new eating and nutrition habits by doing the following: Hope these tips helps in your pursuit of health and happiness. Remember, its not about perfection ~ its all about consistency.
