exercise

THE BASICS — Make These Healthy Changes

Your power of three checklist

Just like a healthy, well-balanced diet, adding frequent exercise to your routine is a key component of achieving and maintaining your lower weight. It helps change your metabolism from fat-storing to fat-burning. In our experience, the patients who make exercise a regular activity lose the most weight and keep it off long term. You need to start forming this habit now. Each person’s body and exercise tolerance is different. That is why your exercise program will be designed by you. You know yourself better than any doctor.


We suggest you include aerobic (“cardio”), resistance (strength) and flexibility exercise into your routine for best results. Try different exercise programs to find what is right for you. Learn what is available in your community. Warm water exercise (such as lap swimming or water aerobics) is excellent for those with joint pain. Home exercise videos are another option if you do not have access to a nearby gym.


For your Power of 3 Exercise Checklist, choose a few goals from below…or make up your own. Hold yourself accountable by checking each box daily. Return your form to our office monthly. An online version that you can download, fill out electronically, and email to us is available below.


Remember this:

  • A pedometer can really help you objectively gauge your walking. On average, inactive people take 2000 to 4000 steps per day, moderately active people take 5000 to 7000 steps per day, and active people take 10000 or more steps per day.
  • Just 10 minutes of brisk walking can give you an hour or two of increased energy.
  • When it comes to exercise, peer pressure can be both healthy and motivating.
  • Your ideal workout spot may be the one in which you feel most at home.
  • Exercise is as much for the mind as it is the body.
  • Muscles have memory. The more you exercise, the more your body will adapt.
  • Doing moderate workouts consistently is better than doing intense workouts inconsistently.
  • You can regain about 20 years’ worth of age-associated losses in strength and muscle mass within about 2 months of resistance strength training.
  • One study showed women who diet and do strength training lose 44% more fat than the ones who diet only.
  • Stronger muscles are LESS injury prone.
  • RESPECT the exercise time you schedule on your calendar as if it was your biggest client or closest friend. Honor appointments with yourself and do not break them.


Exercise Specifics – What type of exerciser are you WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

SOME SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF EATERS

  • Hate-To-Move Struggler

    Even when younger, you were never encouraged to be physically active, did not like to sweat, and may not have had the coordination to excel in sports. As you got on with your life, inactivity became even more acceptable, which reinforced your disregard for physical exercise.


    Is this you?

  • The Self Conscious Hider

    You feel socially phobic about exercising in public. Just the thought of being with other people in an enclosed exercise space may keep you out of the gym. Because you have hyperawareness of your own body compared to other people’s body sizes (especially when wearing tight clothing and when jumping around), you are not able to relax your mind or body long enough to enjoy any group exercise experience.


    Is this you?

  • Inexperienced Novice

    Without prior bad or good attitudes about exercise, the life of the inexperienced novice has never been physically active. Either your job never demanded much physical activity or you never played sports. You simply don’t know how to exercise effectively.


    Is this you?

  • All Or Nothing Doer

    This is the weekend warrior who after a sedentary workweek spends hours pounding the pavement or intensely working out in the gym. Or maybe you join a health club and work out 4 to 5 days a week for months and then, because something gets in your way (injury, work, stress at home), you end up being sedentary for months on end. The all-or-nothing doer is typically a goal-oriented, driven person whose all-or-nothing characteristics reflect a personality trait seen also at work and home. What you don’t realize is that inconsistent exercise makes you more injury-prone.


    Is this you?

  • Set Routine Repeater

    You are typically frustrated about not losing more weight because you already exercise regularly. On questioning however, it is apparent that you have been doing a fixed exercise routine – such as walking on the treadmill at the same speed for the same duration or maybe walking outside 3 times a week for a half hour each time. By staying at your comfortable pace and not challenging your body, your body becomes so efficient at what it’s doing that you don’t get the same benefit. And many repeaters also become bored.


    Is this you?

  • Aches-And-Pains Sufferer

    You either already have an established medical problem or injury that impairs your ability to exercise, or you worry that exercise may bring on a heart attack or injury since you feel so out of shape. Differing attitudes are also important, as one sufferer may be truly frustrated and angry she can’t exercise, while someone else may develop a resistance or defiance to exercise – having developed a “yes, but” attitude.


    Is this you?

  • No-Time-To-Exercise Protestor

    You are busy at work and home and the local community. You’re likely to be very frustrated because you know you need to exercise but can’t seem to squeeze it into your hectic schedule.


    Is this you?