Week 5- Making Exercise Part of Your Plan
Some of the Benefits of Exercise-
- Preventing and delaying type 2 diabetes
- Reducing stress
- Lowering blood pressure
- Strengthening muscles, heart, bones and lungs
- Improved circulation
- Weight control
- Decreasing body fat
Getting started-
Before starting a new exercise program, be sure to speak with your health professional and get approval.
Exercise is a great way to boost energy and promote lasting weight loss. The "best" exercise is one you will do! Walking is a moderate intensity activity that many people choose. You can easily begin your exercise program by monitoring your current level of activity and then building on that base. A pedometer is a valuable tool for tracking activity. Wear your pedometer daily and determine your baseline number of steps. Try to increase your step count by 2000 steps each day to a goal amount of 10,000 steps daily. (About 5 miles)
Remember that other forms of activity such as gardening, household chores, playing with children or pets, etc. can count toward your daily fitness goal. Experts suggest 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days for greatest benefit. You may choose to do all your exercise at one time or you may divide your sessions throughout the day to total 30 minutes.
Keys to Success:
- Change up your routine to prevent boredom
- Ask a friend to join you
- Set short-term goals to help keep you motivated
- Decide on a schedule and stick to it
- Choose a healthful reward for yourself when you meet your goals
- Consider joining an online health group for support
- Make sure you have the proper equipment for your sport to increase your safety and enjoyment