The best kind of exercise is...

I just came across this article and thought it was so interesting and SO true.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I know I always feel better when I have more activity in my life. I'm sure that feeling of better health helps us keep my spirits up and maybe even helps me deal with my migraines a little better.  The title is about weight loss, but I think just the concept of making sure we're doing activities we LIKE/LOVE to do is important regardless of the weight loss part... just so we stay motivated to keep doing it. So, I thought I'd share this article with you:

The best weight loss exercise is…

Adrian Bryant

The best weight loss exercise is…

* Not walking on a treadmill everyday for 45 minutes
* Its not swimming a lot of laps
* And its’ definitely not running 5 miles everyday

The best weight loss exercise is…
* Something that you like (love) to do
* Something that you can do everyday for 30-60 minutes
* Something that can at least make you break a little sweat

So that rules out watching TV, reading and sleeping. Just think about something that you enjoy doing that requires you to move.

Do you like to play golf? If so, just play 18 holes without using the golf cart.

Do you have kids? Play with them everyday for about an hour—they will enjoy it and not only will you lose weight playing with them…You are preventing them from getting obese as well. Give your kids piggyback rides or play catch with them everyday for about an hour.

Even activities that you may not enjoy like Yard work, gardening or housecleaning can be done to lose weight. They are not just chores to do around your home but they are weight loss exercises as well.

Just do some kind of activity everyday for at least 60 minutes. Don’t make up a workout routine—just DO something. You can start RIGHT NOW while you are reading this article.

YOU WILL LOSE MORE WEIGHT…doing something you like (love) to do. You will stick with it longer because it doesn’t seem like work.

Advanced tip: Do interval exercises at least twice a week to burn more fat.

Have you ever heard of interval training? Interval training is where you workout fast or hard for a period of time followed by a period where you workout slow or easy.

For example---You may run for a minute and then walk the next minute.

Interval workouts should last no longer than 20 minutes but at least 10 minutes. So if you do an interval workout you are really working hard or fast only half the time and resting the other half by working out easy or slow.

Here are some more examples of some interval workouts you can do:
* You can Walk or Jog up and down flights of stairs…Going up is the hard part & going down is the easy part
* You can Run a lap around a track and then walk a lap around a track
* You can freestyle swim a lap real fast followed by a easy backstroke swim for a lap.

Just make sure that when you do the interval workouts that the hard or fast part is really intense. For example if you are doing a run/walk interval---Make sure that the run part is so intense that you just can’t wait to start the walking part.

Why do intervals?
After you finish an intense interval workout your metabolism will remain elevated hours after you finish exercising. So for many hours after you finish your interval workout your body is still burning calories (burning fat).

Think about it…while you are taking a shower after your interval workout you will still be losing weight. Even when you relax to watch TV you are still losing weight because that intense interval workout kept your metabolism (your fat burning furnace) running high hours after you finished working out…Interval training keeps your metabolism elevated throughout the day so you can burn more calories.

Interval training should be treated like weight training and be done 2-3 times a week.

About the Author

Adrian Bryant has helped many people reach their fitness goals in his 10+ years of personal training. Adrian holds a B.S. degree in Exercise science from Longwood University. Adrian continues to help people lose weight with his web site.

No more migraines,
Kelli  :)

Comments

[Acai Berry Pure]

All am just gonna say is keep up the good work... I spend 60% of my time reading blogs, and i find most of your posts brilliant

[Grant]

Kelli,

Has interval training ever caused a migraine? I have had two as a result of not eating before strenuous exercise and the second instance was about 15 hours after some intense interval training (no more than 20 minutes). It was the WORST migraine of my life. It hit a part of my head that I've never had it hit, and it lasted for 7 hours. I'm still feeling residuals after 2 days. Just curious.

Thanks!

[Rodney]

I completely agree with you that "exercise" needs to match the needs of the individual. I have migraines and two other chronic medical problems that make exercise a problem for me. So, my favorite kind of exercise (well, besides dancing with my wife) is playing football catch with my son or basketball HORSE with the whole family. I'm also a fan of slow walking. You can't loose weight just strolling, but it does help shake off the blues, move the blood and improve insuline resistance. That's how I adapt.