- Regular exercise is almost certainly a requirement for long-term weight loss. Researchers in Colorado and Pennsylvania studied thousands of people who lost more than 30 lbs. and kept it off for at least 2 years. The most common factor was that 91% of them were regular exercisers. Only about 30% of American adults are regular exercisers.
- Walk! If you don’t have an exercise habit, walking is a low-impact exercise that requires no special or expensive equipment, and you can do it just about anywhere.
- Balance your exercise. Aerobic burns calories better, but strength training (weights, sit-ups, push-ups) makes you feel good and gives other muscles a break. Try alternating aerobic and strength training 6 days a week, and rest completely one day a week.
- Start slowly and build up. Doing too much too fast can cause injury or burn-out. Start with 10-15 minutes daily, and add 5 minutes every two weeks. In just two months you’ll be up to 30 minutes a day.
- Exercise physiologists tell us that to maintain our weight, we need 30 minutes of daily exercise 5 times a week. But in order to lose weight, we need 60 minutes of daily exercise 5 times a week.
- Make exercise a priority! If you exercise after you’ve done everything on your “To Do List”, you’ll never get to it. Make exercise one of your top 2 or 3 things to do each day.