Losing weight and getting healthy is always a hot topic, especially this time of year. It is surprising to see how many advertisements and products exist for this purpose alone. In fact, losing weight and becoming fitter couldn’t be easier. Here are 3 simple steps you can take to start your journey to wellness.
nutrition:
It’s listed first because it’s really important. I’ve seen triathletes (myself included) exercise 15 hours a week and still put on weight. Exercise alone will not cause weight loss. You’ll improve your cardiovascular system, bone density, and a myriad of other things. However, to lose weight, you have to go into a calorie deficit. It simply means that you must burn more calories than you consume. I often joke that the most effective exercise is the “table decline”. This is where you always say no or decline offers of more food.
strength training:
A big misconception among many people is that they believe in spot reduction. They think that if they do a lot of abdominal exercises, they will lose weight around their middle. This is simply not the case. You lose weight all over your body. Another big misconception about strength training is that you’ll build so much muscle so quickly and actually gain unwanted weight, even if it’s lean muscle. Again, this is not going to happen and is even less likely if you are avoiding the isolation type movements and exercises that were commonly performed in the 1980s and 1990s.
Cardio:
The final piece of the fitness puzzle is doing cardio. Cardio workouts are really only limited by your imagination. You can row a boat, bike, swim, run, walk, climb, skate, etc. It is almost limitless. If you’re moving, you’re doing cardio. Really only 30 minutes of cardio is needed, depending on the intensity level.
Usually most people are able to get 2 out of 3 steps down. However, for some reason it’s hard to get all three at the same time. Many endurance athletes have their nutrition and cardio down pretty well but don’t lift weights for fear of going too heavy which is counterproductive in endurance sports. Lifters have nutrition and strength training, but don’t do cardio for fear of losing shape. This may be all well and good if you are trying to compete in a certain event. However, most just want to be healthy and look good. If you’re one of them, build your routine to incorporate small changes in all three of the above areas (nutrition/strength/cardio). You don’t need to train for more than an hour per day (30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of strength). Then make small changes in your diet. Remember, this is a lifestyle change so you are building a new life here. It takes time and consistent effort. Too big changes too quickly are often well thought out but not sustainable.
I hope this helps get you on a better path to health and fitness. Everyone has a healthy body inside that is dying to get out.
Source by Pete Simon
