Different approaches to Exercise

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just achieve a certain level of fitness, exercise is necessary. Everyone should exercise regularly just to maintain their general health, but for those aiming for weight loss, exercise can make a huge difference. People lose weight and get into shape must faster when they follow exercise programs than when they use dieting alone.

Exercise isn’t just great for weight loss, though. It also serves a stress reliever, a mood regulator, a way to keep your skin looking better, a way to tone your muscles, and just a way to do something good for yourself during some “me” time. Some people participate in fitness exercise just for weight loss or their health, while others consider exercise to consist of activities like going for a long walk after dinner, or spending time in the garden each day.

Fortunately, there are many different types of exercise so that you can choose things you enjoy doing. It’s important to participate in some sort of cardio exercise at least a few times a week, both for general health and to speed weight loss. Cardio exercise is aerobic in nature, meaning your body is using oxygen for an extended period of time, which lets your body burn fat. Walking at a good pace, running, using a stepper or an elliptical machine, swimming, bicycling and any activity that keeps your heart rate up for several minutes are considered cardio. These exercise your heart and lungs.

Weight training is also an important type of exercise. This tones the muscles which can make you look healthier and feel stronger. If you’re trying to lose weight, alternating weight training with cardio exercise is important. Not only will you tone up your body and make it smaller through exercising the muscles, but you’ll have good muscle tone appearing as your body sheds the fat on top of it.

Of course, if you’re eating a poor diet or eating too much, all the exercise in the world isn’t going to do as much good as it could if you were getting the proper nutrition and eating the right amount of calories for weight loss. If you’re not sure how to eat, you could read several diet reviews and use those to pick a plan that seems comfortable for you. But if you’ll just aim for lower fat meats and dairy products, whole grain breads and pastas, and lots of fruits and vegetables, you’ll be following the ideal diet - not just for weight loss but for health, too.

When you’re ready to start an exercise program, don’t just decide to run or use a stepper simply because everyone else is doing it. Find some sort of activity that you’ll enjoy, or pick several and switch off. If you choose something you find yourself dreading or that is too hard, you’ll end up not doing it. It’s easier to feel that motivation to get up and exercise each day if you know you’ll enjoy the time you spend improving your health.