Have you found yourself enjoying a bit too much time on the sofa with the remote in one hand and a bag of chips in the other? It’s an easy rut to get into; it’s also an easy rut to get out of. The side effects of excess couch time include lethargy, decreased motivation, high blood pressure, onset diabetes and many more. The side effects of a regular exercise regime not only mitigate the side effects of excess couch time, but set the stage for a happier, prolonged life. There’s no better time than today to get started ramping up your exercise regime. No doubt you’re more inclined to retreat to the comforts of the sofa given the constant barrage of extreme exercise, diet and health advice streaming from nearly every major media outlet. Ignore the extremists and focus on starting slow and developing a sustainable habit. Follow these basic recommendations from the health experts to jump start your exercise regime.
The point in starting off making gradual changes is the increased likelihood that you’ll develop a long term habit. Start off by simply committing to taking a brisk walk for at least thirty minutes each day. Don’t focus on distance or speed so much as duration. Take advantage of the awesome deals offered by Groupon coupons and invest in one of the many activity trackers available from Samsung. Grab a pair of comfortable athletic shoes, earbuds for your favorite tunes or podcasts, a buddy and get started. While you should walk at a brisk pace, find a stride that you can maintain at a steady pace for the duration of the thirty minute walk. Again, the focus is on duration, not speed or distance. Within a few short weeks, you’ll begin to feel an increased energy level, renewed motivation and an overall strengthening of muscle mass. After a few weeks, begin to introduce rapid spurts for three minutes every five minutes. This will serve to increase your heart rate and ramp up your metabolism.
Don’t sabotage your new found walking regime with poor eating choices. The single greatest gift you can give your body is the elimination of fast food meals and sugary sodas. Our bodies simply are not designed to process copious amounts of added sugars and sodium. Bloating, weight gain and digestive issues all can be attributed to excess sugar and sodium.