BY AYOUB OUBARKA
Let's face it - exercise can be downright boring. There are plenty of exercises that I simply hate doing. A
few years ago, I bought a treadmill. I figured I would watch some TV and walk or jog on the treadmill. It
worked for a while. But, you know what... I really hate my treadmill. It sits in the corner of my dining room
collecting dust.
Now, there are some types of exercise that I really enjoy. I love to ride my bike outdoors. Over the summer,
I spent countless hours biking. I hit the roads, the bike trails, you name it. Unfortunately, I live in Western
New York, so once November hits, it's really hard to get a lot of outdoor biking in. Yes, I have a stationary
bike in my living room - and I use it for a 5- to 10-minute warmup before my workouts - but it's just not the
same.
The key is to find exercise that you enjoy. If you don't like doing it, you're probably not going to stick
with it. I like to jog, although not as much as I like to bike, but it's a good substitute. I enjoy to swimming
laps. I also love to play softball. Find something you love doing, and get moving!
The key is to start slow and progress a little bit each week. Walking is always a great activity. Indoors or
outdoors you can always walk. Start by walking 10 or 15 minutes a day for a week. When you can do that,
move up to half an hour. Eventually, you can progress to a light jog.
Exercise is important to burn calories, and to build strength, and muscle flexibility. Remember, if you're
looking to lose weight, you have to burn off more calories than you eat. While you can reduce your daily
calorie intake, your body will eat muscle tissue first (it's a good source of protein). So you need to exercise
to keep those muscles healthy.
There are three basic types of exercises: cardiovascular, strength training, and stretching.
Cardio is any exercise that gets your blood pumping, raises your breathing rate, and makes you sweat.
We will use cardio exercises to burn calories fast. Examples include walking, jogging, jumping rope,
swimming, and cycling. Cardio exercise is important because it is the number-one calorie burner in our
weight-loss routine. Cardio is also extremely important for developing a strong heart and lungs.
Strength Training is used to build muscle. Now, building muscle is essential for healthy weight loss.
Don't worry, you're not going to turn into Arnold and have huge, bulging muscles (unless that's what you
want). Even ladies can benefit tremendously from a moderate amount of strength training. Strength training
is important because you need to strengthen more than just your heart and lungs. By strengthening the rest
of your body, you will be better at any physical activity. You will feel stronger. You won't be as susceptible
to injury - I used to throw my back out at least twice a year before I started back exercises. Plus, most
importantly (for weight loss) you will be burning more calories at rest because muscle tissue needs more
fuel than fat tissue.
Stretching is used to improve flexibility and overall muscle health. We will incorporate stretching into
our exercise routines to keep our muscles limber and prevent soreness. Stretching is important because you
need flexible muscles in order to do the other two types of exercises. Without flexibility, you're likely to
injure a muscle while running or lifting weights.
Let's face it - exercise can be downright boring. There are plenty of exercises that I simply hate doing. A
few years ago, I bought a treadmill. I figured I would watch some TV and walk or jog on the treadmill. It
worked for a while. But, you know what... I really hate my treadmill. It sits in the corner of my dining room
collecting dust.
Now, there are some types of exercise that I really enjoy. I love to ride my bike outdoors. Over the summer,I spent countless hours biking. I hit the roads, the bike trails, you name it. Unfortunately, I live in Western
New York, so once November hits, it's really hard to get a lot of outdoor biking in. Yes, I have a stationary
bike in my living room - and I use it for a 5- to 10-minute warmup before my workouts - but it's just not the
same.
The key is to find exercise that you enjoy. If you don't like doing it, you're probably not going to stick
with it. I like to jog, although not as much as I like to bike, but it's a good substitute. I enjoy to swimming
laps. I also love to play softball. Find something you love doing, and get moving!
The key is to start slow and progress a little bit each week. Walking is always a great activity. Indoors or
outdoors you can always walk. Start by walking 10 or 15 minutes a day for a week. When you can do that,
move up to half an hour. Eventually, you can progress to a light jog.
Exercise is important to burn calories, and to build strength, and muscle flexibility. Remember, if you're
looking to lose weight, you have to burn off more calories than you eat. While you can reduce your daily
calorie intake, your body will eat muscle tissue first (it's a good source of protein). So you need to exercise
to keep those muscles healthy.
There are three basic types of exercises: cardiovascular, strength training, and stretching.
Cardio is any exercise that gets your blood pumping, raises your breathing rate, and makes you sweat.
We will use cardio exercises to burn calories fast. Examples include walking, jogging, jumping rope,
swimming, and cycling. Cardio exercise is important because it is the number-one calorie burner in our
weight-loss routine. Cardio is also extremely important for developing a strong heart and lungs.
Strength Training is used to build muscle. Now, building muscle is essential for healthy weight loss.
Don't worry, you're not going to turn into Arnold and have huge, bulging muscles (unless that's what you
want). Even ladies can benefit tremendously from a moderate amount of strength training. Strength training
is important because you need to strengthen more than just your heart and lungs. By strengthening the rest
of your body, you will be better at any physical activity. You will feel stronger. You won't be as susceptible
to injury - I used to throw my back out at least twice a year before I started back exercises. Plus, most
importantly (for weight loss) you will be burning more calories at rest because muscle tissue needs more
fuel than fat tissue.
Stretching is used to improve flexibility and overall muscle health. We will incorporate stretching into
our exercise routines to keep our muscles limber and prevent soreness. Stretching is important because you
need flexible muscles in order to do the other two types of exercises. Without flexibility, you're likely to
injure a muscle while running or lifting weights.
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