Number 2 of 10 tips to transition to a healthier lifestlyle and weight

Number 2 of 10 tips to transition to a healthier lifestyle and weight.

2. Get Moving! We are designed to be moving all the time. It is so important that we set time each day to dedicate to exercise. For centuries people walked up to 10 miles a day, worked in fields, and spent their lives constantly in motion. It's only in the last century that people began to move less and now the United States is in a health crisis with soaring obesity and diabetes rates. Exercise is not only good for our physical bodies but it is imperative to our emotional well being as well. In 1999 Duke University did a study and proved that exercise was just as effective as anti-depressants at treating depression. Exercise is fundamental to our physical and mental health. If you are not exercising then you are not living your life at full potential. You are just existing. Here are some different types of exercise and their health benefits.

A. Cardio: I happen to love to run. I put in my IPOD and run on the treadmill or outside if the weather is nice and I love every second of it. Of course that wasn't how I started out. I remember the first time I decided I wanted to be a runner and I went out for a walk. I jogged for 30 seconds, fell to the ground and seriously contemplated vomiting. I however did not give up. My dad who was a runner for 20 years just kept telling me, run until you can't and then walk till you get your breath and run again. So several years later I actually can run and I adore it. There are tons of different types of cardio such as walking, aerobics, swimming, zumba, jogging and lots of others. Find one you like.

Here's some benefits of Cardio: 

• Weight loss
• Exercises the heart
• Reduced stress
• More energy
• Better sleep
• Improved flexibility
• Improved balance
• Look and feel much better

B. Strength Training:

Adults lose 5% of muscle every ten years. Muscle speeds up your metabolism, so if you find it's not as easy to lose weight as it once was, you're not imagining it. It is actually a real fact. You have to burn an extra couple hundred of calories than you did ten years before. However, you can beat this problem if you can get back your muscle by weight and resistance training. 

Here are some benefits of Strength Training

• Speeds up your metabolism
• Tones your muscles
• Strengthens your bones
• Decreases your resting blood pressure
• Improves balance
• Improves mood
• energizes you

You have to find what you enjoy and then stick with it. Change your mindset about working out to lose weight or fit into an outfit. You are working out because that is just a part of your life and that's who you are and what you do. I actually said often "I am a runner and I love to run" before I ever was or did.

Also, try to get in those extra steps. Park further away from the store when you shop. Take the dog for a couple of walks a day. Enroll for a dance class. Make that time happen in your schedule to exercise. Invest in yourself and see the benefits come through in every other area of your life.