Exercise Yourself Slim
Jun 2nd, 2009 by Giselle
Are you looking for a powerful fat fighter? How about a magic bullet to increase insulin sensitivity? Want to lose weight and keep it off permanently? Prioritise exercise in your life and make exercise a habit! Approach it with the most unwavering commitment you can muster and you will reap huge dividends. This article examines intentional exercise and how to sustain it.
If you have been putting on weight it means you are eating more than your body can use or burn.
Energy input > Energy output = Weight gain
Regular exercise is your best chance for busting stubborn body fat. Build more lean tissue or muscles with resistance training and you will naturally become more insulin sensitive. That means you can expect better blood sugar control, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol level, better blood circulation and the added bonus of a mood lift (with endorphin production) post workout each time.
Exercise accelerates your metabolism and ensures that you burn more calories even when you are asleep or at the computer for up to 72 hours after. What’s more when you exercise, your desire to binge will also magically disappear. This is testimony to the powerful connection between food behaviour and physical activity. One area inadvertently influences the other. So when one area is out of control, you just have to muster the other area to have a follow on positive effect on the out-of-control area.
For exercise to be self-sustaining, it has to be fun and enjoyable. You may have to try several activities before you find one that you can perform with some degree of competence that helps you generate positive results. Now take a moment out and ask yourself this important question. If all constraints were removed, what inspires you so much that you could make an exercise a lifelong one? Could it be running a marathon, competing at the next ballroom dancing competition, enrolling for the “above-40’s”ice-skating competition, skiing in the Alps or roller blading along the beach in Nusa?
To make an activity a lifelong one, you must first find an activity that appeals to you. Of course when choosing the activity, you have to take your own physical limitations into account. If you cannot balance, have severe knee problems or osteoporosis then roller blading or ice-skating will be out of the question. Don’t even dream about it because if an activity is not viable, you will not develop self-efficacy. Without self-efficacy, you will throw in the towel and guess what – GIVE UP! Is this familiar? Have you been there before?
In summary, find something you love that you could get good at that inspires you and begin with the end in mind. For example, if your goal is to go from Eastern Europe to London mostly on foot, you can start by walking 3 – 5km every second day and gradually increase it to 15km – 20km per day over a 6-month period. And at the end of the 6 months, you are ready to pack your bags and go have the time of your life!
It really is as simple as that. Would you like to share what inspires you?
