Chapter 9: Get Physically Active
The more you move, the more calories you burn. Yes, maybe you do work a desk job or perhaps you can’t afford great exercise equipment to help you in your quest to lose weight. Things like this can certainly make the process harder.
Here’s the thing – you have two choices in life: make excuses or make changes. As long as you keep coming up with all the reasons why you can’t do something, you’ll never do what’s necessary to make your goal a reality.
Exercise is Your Friend Not Enemy
One of the main reasons people hate to exercise is because they focus on the negatives. So, if you view it as something that takes up your time, causes you pain and strains your budget, of course you’re not going to like it!
If you want to turn enemy into your friend, you have to look at all that it does for you. Focus on the fact that it makes you look better in your clothes, feel better physically and reduce the stress you feel. Pay attention to the way it improves your mood and puts some energy in your step.
Fun Exercise is Sustainable Exercise
If you want to stick to an exercise program for any length of time, you need to enjoy it. So, the key to a solid exercise regimen is to have fun. Here are some calorie burning workouts that may keep a smile on your face:
- Group sports – If you’re social, group sports are the way to go. Start a baseball game, join a soccer league or play some basketball at the gym.
- Swimming – If you’d rather work out alone, swimming a few laps can be a great alternative to the treadmill or elliptical. You can also use the water as resistance to work your muscles for additional calorie burning benefits.
- Playing with your kids – Take your baby for a walk in a stroller or engage in a game of tag with your young child. Take the time to build a bond while building your health in the process.
- Gardening – When you do lawn work of any kind, you have the opportunity to burn some major calories. Weed your flowers, plant your seeds or mow your grass and you’ll not only have beautiful landscape but you’ll also have a rock solid body!
- Walk the dog – Not only will your dog enjoy some different scenery, but you’ll stay motivated to keep going when he or she is pulling at the leash. If you don’t have your own dog, borrow a neighbor’s or volunteer to walk shelter dogs.
- Volunteer for an active charity – Donate your time to an organization that needs someone to perform physical labor, such as building a house or sorting donations. You can also participate in walks and fundraise for local charities and burn calories while you’re helping others.
Do you lose excesses weight?
