We Need To Exercise

You probably wonder why exercise is so important to our body after all my father never exercised or his father either. Well, they came from a different generation. They lived a more physical life. I remember my grandparents; they worked sun up to sun down on a small farm raising chickens, and taking care of their garden and orchard. And my parents didn't have it that hard but without all the conveniences we have today they stayed busy all day between their jobs and shopping and keeping up the house. Today the average adult spends about 16 hours a day either sitting or lying down. When the body is sitting for more than 20 minutes it can go into hibernation mode just like when you're lying down. Several hours in hibernation mode will slow down body functions and will actually cause health problems.

Exercise comes in many types. Playing sports like soccer or swimming or walking, jogging, using hand weights are just a few way to exercise.

More people than ever are starting to exercise. People are realizing the benefits. I don't want to minimize the diet part but exercise has benefits for everyone even if you don't want to lose weight. Exercise will make you feel better and be a happier person with more energy. Of course, the diet part of losing weight will give you the energy you need to exercise. Overweight people generally are tired most of the day. They use up their energy in the morning and slow down after that. Yes, it can be because they're heavy but mostly lack of energy is because of the food you're eating. If your food isn't giving you energy for the whole day, maybe you're eating the wrong food.

Getting started with exercise

What should I wear?

You should wear comfortable, moisture wicking clothing and a good pair of athletic shoes (or barefoot for yoga!). PS: Always have a water bottle nearby to stay hydrated!

How often and how intense should I be working out?

The CDC recommends 150 minutes of cardio a week and two strength training sessions a week. You decide how, when, and where! The options are endless. Just get moving!

How do I know if I’m doing it right?

Good form equals good results. Read the instructions we provide, but more importantly, listen to your body. Muscle fatigue means “Wow! I’m working hard, I can barely do another repetition.” Muscle pain means ”Ow! Something doesn’t feel right.” Work to muscle fatigue. Never work through muscle pain.

Help! What’s a set?

Here’s some help decoding fitness jargon:

• Rep: Short for repetition. The number of times you perform an exercise.
• Set: The number of rounds of repetitions.
• Cardio: It’s heart-pumping exercise that gets you breathing through your mouth, not your nose. The difference between “window shopping and mall walking.”
• Strength Training: Working your muscles. You could be lifting weights, using a resistance band, or doing bodyweight exercises.
• Flexibility: Stretching your muscles and mind-body exercises like yoga

This post comes from MyFitnessPal and gives the beginner some great tips on exercising. 

Send me an email if you have any questions but we all need to start some sort of exercise program that you can stay with.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.