| So you're overweight, "fat"--to be honest--and you | | | | high cholesterol and many types of cancer, as well as |
| want to start exercising. Before you take off like an | | | | taking care of most of your belly flab. It doesn't |
| overlarge airplane and start preparing for the | | | | sound like much, but it will really tighten your whole |
| Olympics trials, stop right there. You may have it all | | | | body up. Your legs will especially benefit, and your |
| figured out by now, after checking with your friends, | | | | buns will automatically grow firmer as you stroll. Not |
| the media and finally that fickle fiend known as the | | | | to mention that the worst investment you need to |
| bathroom mirror, that a regular exercise program is | | | | make is a pair of comfy, sturdy sensible shoes, |
| the only way to fly when it comes to permanent | | | | preferably made of leather or canvas with rubber |
| weight loss. That entails working out or otherwise | | | | soles. |
| flexing your physical and psychological muscles on a | | | | You may think that yoga is some uncomfortable |
| regular basis, perhaps three times a week, or maybe | | | | form of Eastern self-punishment and mysticism, but |
| even once per day.But therein lies the rub. How do | | | | it's not. Yoga is great for toning your body, as it's |
| you get started? How often do you exercise? Most | | | | extremely gentle when done correctly. It combines |
| importantly, if you've been very sedate or at least | | | | traditional breathing and relaxation techniques with |
| somewhat off your feet for awhile, what's the | | | | simple stretching. It's good to use yoga during a |
| safest way to begin an effective, weight-loss | | | | weight-loss program when you're sedentary, as it's |
| centered exercise program?Beginning a Righteous | | | | very easy on your body, you don't have to repeat |
| Program--RealisticallyFirst of all, follow the old saw | | | | the same exercises every day, and it requires a |
| about consulting with your doctor. Don't start thinking | | | | minimal time commitment. Yoga can be used in |
| you can just begin running around the block. That's | | | | conjunction with a more rigorous exercise program to |
| why the medical profession exists, to advise and | | | | help maintain your overall state of fitness. "Yoga |
| keep you safe. You doctor will recommend specific | | | | doesn't take over your life, it enhances it," says Alice |
| types of exercise tailored to fit your own individual | | | | Cristensen, founder and executive director of the |
| lifestyle, personal health needs and concerns. But you | | | | American Yoga Association.Continuing Your |
| don't need to make it entirely clinical when you begin | | | | Program--Goals and MotivationOkay, so you've |
| an exercise program.Most importantly, you need to | | | | gotten started, but what does all this have to do |
| pick something you're going to stick with. What do | | | | with watching your weight? To keep on schedule |
| you like in the way of sports? If you're | | | | with this as your original goal, you also have to keep |
| people-oriented, you should look into joining a team | | | | that commitment to lose enough poundage to be a |
| sports program of some kind in your area, one | | | | healthy, happy and physically fit person.First of all, |
| created for adult participation. You can look for a | | | | you have to figure out exactly what you're |
| local softball league, take a beginning aerobics class at | | | | expecting to accomplish. Are you looking for optimal |
| a fitness center, or play regular games of basketball | | | | health, or do you really want to fit into slinky clothes |
| at a gym with your buddies. And then there's golf, | | | | better? Either way, you're going to have to set goals |
| the perennial favorite of people who want to | | | | and try to attain them as you go. It helps to clearly |
| perform fun and interesting mild exercise. All you | | | | keep in mind what you're aiming for, and it helps to |
| have to do is motivate yourself and perhaps some | | | | visualize yourself at your ideal weight several times a |
| friends to get started. Or if you're a loner, you can | | | | day. This image impresses itself upon your |
| take up an individualized sport such as bicycle touring, | | | | subconscious and inwardly motivates you to continue |
| which can also be done in small groups, or laps | | | | your program with a bulldog's sheer tenacity and |
| swimming at your community pool.And if you like to | | | | motivation. You want that; whatever happens, you |
| be around a humungous amount of people, how | | | | don't want to stress out and quit. Try looking at old |
| about mall-walking, one of the latest in adult and | | | | photographs of yourself at your ideal weight and |
| family mild fitness trends, or the more traditional act | | | | picturing realistically what you'll look like when you're |
| of partner dancing, which you can do at all kinds of | | | | back there again. Don't expect the Fountain of |
| gathering places such as local taverns, senior centers, | | | | Youth, but you'd be shocked how close you can get |
| community halls and social clubs. There's an almost | | | | to your mental picture, and how good you're going to |
| infinite number of places you can go and groups you | | | | feel as you move your body, eat less liberally and |
| can join. Just pick one, and remember to start out | | | | become fit and not fat.Also, you should make a brief |
| with a breezy, fun and easygoing attitude. You're not | | | | list of the five major reasons you're embarking on an |
| punishing yourself; you're picking up on a lifelong habit | | | | exercise and weight-loss program. Do you want to |
| of moving your body for health purposes. You'll feel | | | | bring down your blood pressure? Does being fat |
| better, look fitter and maybe meet new people while | | | | make you feel too old? Do you want to attract |
| you're dropping those needless extra pounds.But be | | | | someone new in your life? When you sit in your car, |
| realistic, and work with your doctor. You want to aim | | | | does your stomach practically turn the steering |
| for something fun that you'll keep committing to | | | | wheel? Make it a point to carry this list with you |
| doing regularly. If it's something you hate, perhaps | | | | wherever you go, and when you get in the mood to |
| such as running on a track, climbing stairs or using | | | | quit and give up, whip it out and read it aloud, saying |
| what seems to you to be boring exercise equipment, | | | | to yourself that this is what you really want.You |
| forget it! Don't spend all your money on something | | | | must also remember to keep it simple when you're |
| you can't keep doing because you feel guilty, or think | | | | losing weight. In most cases, burning more calories |
| you have to punish yourself into exercising. Be sure | | | | than you ingest is the biggest concern. You have to |
| you like what you're going to do before you get | | | | expend approximately 3,500 calories to lose one |
| started. Simply walking around the block is a very | | | | pound of adipose fat tissue. Water weight doesn't |
| inexpensive and potentially fun way to go from a | | | | count, and that's what a lot of people lose at first. |
| sedentary state to a beginning new level of much | | | | Also, the important thing about exercise is that you |
| better health and fitness. You must start with | | | | can eat almost normally and still lose the weight at a |
| something easy and simple if you haven't been | | | | healthy and reasonable pace. If you don't exercise |
| exercising for decades, and you should gradually | | | | and try to lose weight, you'll be tempted to embark |
| increase your level of activity as you feel | | | | on a starvation diet. This has been shown to make |
| comfortable with it. Move by inches, not by miles.Are | | | | you lose lean muscle mass instead of fat in most |
| you a morning or an evening person? If you're the | | | | cases, and although you'll drop some pounds, they |
| former, plan to work out in the morning, and if you | | | | may be the wrongest ones. Chances are that if |
| wake up later in the day, do your routine more near | | | | you're unfit while you're losing weight, you'll get |
| twilight. Also, as your doctor will tell you, start with a | | | | physically tired, sleep less, become overly emotional, |
| small window of time, perhaps only fifteen minutes at | | | | and stress out and become extremely irritable. It |
| first, and slowly increase it every other day or so. In | | | | simply isn't healthy to do it that way, so you need at |
| order to achieve a higher level of fitness and to lose | | | | least a moderate exercise program.Try keeping a |
| weight, you must perform whatever exercise you | | | | journal of your progress every day, and consult with |
| choose at least three to four times a week. This is | | | | it when you want to know how far along you've |
| better at first than every day, as a rest may be | | | | come. You can also use it to gauge how you're doing, |
| needed between workouts to give your aching | | | | and whether or not you're losing weight at a |
| muscles a chance to soothe themselves and heal | | | | reasonable pace. Congratulate yourself every time |
| before you bravely saunter forth again or head back | | | | you ate the right thing, kept to your walking |
| merrily to the gym.Eventually, you can try exercising | | | | schedule, or didn't give in to temptation that day by |
| every single day, anywhere from twenty minutes to | | | | making a brief note about it. Read the journal to |
| a full hour. But especially at first--and that may be for | | | | inspire you about what you're doing whenever you |
| several months--don't push yourself too hard. Don't | | | | feel the urge to let go.Meanwhile, as you chart your |
| go all out, and get frustrated because you can't keep | | | | progress, take the time to reward yourself for |
| it up. You don't have to be a college athlete, and you | | | | everything you're doing right. Ignore occasional |
| can seriously hurt your heart by pushing too hard or | | | | slipups, and don't let them bother you. Move on and |
| overdoing it. Remember, you're doing this for fun, for | | | | motivate yourself by going to a movie, taking a |
| health reasons and to feel good about yourself. Don't | | | | break from work, going to the beach or whatever |
| try to become an "athlete" unless you think that will | | | | floats your boat. Don't reward yourself with food, |
| be something you'll want to commit to on a much | | | | ever! Find other methods of loving life and use them. |
| more rigorous schedule. Later!Easy Exercise | | | | Treating yourself manifests your brain's reward |
| Comes--NaturallyAmericans tend to think of exercise | | | | system and keeps you striving toward your |
| as more their duty than as a part of their culture, or | | | | goals.Don't forget to share any successes or failures |
| "way of life." But it's a true lifestyle preference. | | | | with your friends and family. Tell them all about how |
| Throughout the world, many forms of regular | | | | proud you are of the new lifestyle choices you're |
| exercise are taking hold of whole general populations. | | | | making, and share in their enthusiasm. They want you |
| Take walking, for example. In Europe, people are | | | | to be healthy and go on living, and so do you. But |
| flocking to their local well-developed public hiking trails, | | | | some of them may worry that you're starving |
| and there's quite a few of those spread across the | | | | yourself or are in a state of denial. Reassure them, |
| USA as well. Walking of a moderate type is called | | | | and proceed carefully with your healthy diet and |
| Volkssport in Europe, and it's really been around for | | | | exercise plans, while always knowing that it's exactly |
| many centuries.Easy-going exercise such as walking | | | | what you need to do to look better, feel stronger |
| continues to stave off heart disease, osteoporosis, | | | | and live longer. |