| In a previous article we talked about setting goals to help you become more physically fit and lose weight at the same time. Today we are going to take this a step further and drill down into into a fitness regimen for women; losing weight in order to become physically fit.
It is true you can lose weight without making a drastic lifestyle change, but sometimes developing a regular fitness plan is essential to losing weight and maintaining a healthy body. And the point of this is of course, for you as a woman, to maintain the weight loss and keeping yourself physically fit, for your family and yourself for the rest of your life.
In that case, consider these realities:
This report is targeted at people who want to lose 50 pounds in a year. So, if you are 50 pounds or more overweight, you will first need to consult your physician about what fitness and health plan is right for you. Although you may not need to lose 50 pounds, each of the tips here can apply to you as well.
Next, don?t be afraid that exercise will make you want to eat more. You have to realize that while high intensity exercise does increase one?s appetite, the moderate intensity exercise that you will probably be doing will actually decrease your appetite for several hours after you work out.
Exercise may not result in immediate weight loss. That is because your body is converting fat to muscle and muscle actually weighs more. However, a muscular body will actually burn more calories in the long run doing day to day activities than a fatty one will. So, even if you don?t see immediate results on the scale, keep up the good work. You will lose more weight if you combine endurance training (such as aerobics, stair stepper,or bicycling) with weight and strength training.
If you are seriously overweight or obese, you should start your exercise regime by doing sit down exercises rather than jump into a routine that is not sustainable. For instance, while sitting in a chair, do a variety of arm raises, leg lifts, bends, and leans. Also, consider water exercises such as swimming and water aerobics. In the water, there is less of a load on your knees and joints.
Walking is an excellent form of exercise for overweight individuals. A good pair of walking shoes is the only equipment you will need. However, you might want to consider hooking up with a walking buddy, getting a dog, or investing in a iPod to make the walks go more quickly. When you are determined to burn 500 additional calories a day, choosing an exercise routine that fits your lifestyle and your health level can be very beneficial for you.
One thing I have discovered over the years, as a parent, is that by involving my children in my fitness regimen it's a great way to stay motivitated. My children became so involved that when Mom, tried to slack off, they would nag me to death until I got up off of my backside and worked out with them. One of their favorites was doing a brisk walk and us talking about the things we saw and the things we had done that day. Talk about quality time with my kids. Wow!
So you can clearly see that a fitness regimen for women is not hard to do. It can actually be fun and all the side benefits for outweigh any disadvantages when you first start, trying to get healthy |