Make exercise a top priority.
You know the health benefits of physical activity. If
you want to feel good, drop some of that excess weight, increase your
energy levels, improve your mood and feel more relaxed, make the
commitment to a healthier life. Remember, if you need help, ask
for it. Speak to your local primary, allied health or fitness
provider about the state of your health. Ask them how they can
support your physical activity. If possible, recruit a skilled
team to support your lifestyle changes.
Set yourself short and long-term SMART goals that are:
- Specific
- Measureable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time based.
Don’t weigh yourself every day as your weight fluctuates daily.
Weigh yourself once a week at the same time of the
day. Remember many of the benefits of exercise are more than
weight loss.
Draw up an activity action plan and use it.
Keep a diary of your activities. This could be a weekly
plan that sets out the specific activities you are going to do each
day and for how long. Include your goal for that week or month and
build in rewards (such as tickets to the movies, rather than
something like fast food takeaway).
Make some allowances for missed sessions and setbacks.
they are inevitable and a great learning experience.
If you plan for and accept them, modifications can be made to your plan
without major disruptions.
Make the time to exercise.
You don’t have to find hours each day to exercise.
With just 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity – that increases
your heart rate and breathing – on most, if not all days, you’ll
notice the benefits. It can even be broken into 10-minute chunks.
High-intensity interval training (HITT) is also becoming a popular
method of training that takes less time and is showing some
positive results in research trials. HITT usually involves
repetition of exercises at high intensities just below maximum
effort with short rest periods. It is advisable to seek expert
support and supervision before starting this type of activity.
Choose an exercise.
Think about what you like doing. Consider the
environment you’d enjoy when being physically active. It might be
indoor, outdoor, in a pool or with equipment. This will make it
more enjoyable, which helps to keep you motivated.
Turn everyday things into active time.
Make your everyday tasks more active. Take the
stairs. Work up a housework sweat! Park your car further away. Take
public transport, which generally requires some walking. Break up
long periods of sitting by standing and moving around. Spend
active time with the kids – play in the park or backyard.
Reject excuses.
Most people can come up with plenty of reasons not to
be active – too busy or too tired, not having the ability, the
money or the support. Most of these barriers can be overcome.
Don’t let them get in the way of a happier, healthier you.
Think about the benefits versus the costs.
There are lots of good reasons to be active. You can
burn up kilojoules, improve your health, reduce stress and make new
friends. Draw up a table of the benefits of being active versus the
costs of remaining sedentary.
Review your plans and goals, and track your progress.
You may find that you can gradually increase some
activities while others are just too hard. You could consider more
convenient times to exercise or find some new activities. There may be
times when expert advice from a health or exercise professional
may be needed for you to break through plateaus in your training
progress. Tracking your progress can be a great motivator. Keep a
diary or use one of the apps for phone or tablet that are
available. Reaching each goal will give you the confidence to
strive for the next one.
Know more about your health, visit www.hconnect.co.in Today !
