The Remarkable Benefits of a Structured Exercise Plan
The Big Three
Do you know what is the trifecta of wellness? If you guessed nutrition, exercise and mindset, A+ for you! I know you have probably heard this before, but not like this. These three segments are the foundation for your healthy lifestyle success and will propel your wellness journey. Each of these segments relies on the other to accomplish your goals. Each week we will build on the foundation of our wellness model and together we will grow and succeed. Follow our blog to get all this information and help us to identify what you need by letting us know what you would like to know.
Think about your past experiences, most times you would eat well and not exercise or exercise and not have a solid nutritional plan. Everyone has moments like this, what sets some apart from the rest is the mindset of consistency, determination and goal setting. Thoughts are what ultimately decide whether you workout today or what you are not going to eat. You make a conscious decision about exactly how you choose to achieve your goals. Without the proper mindset, your success is compromised. Mindset is the tip of the triangle; let’s meet the equal sides!
The Power Couple
Let me introduce you to the power couple, exercise and nutrition. Last week I talked about nutrition, so this week I will introduce exercise. No matter how hard you workout and how hard you cut back on calories, without a healthy balance of these two you will never achieve the weight loss and maintenance that you seek. I know many people loathe working out, once you see that scale moving down TRUST ME you will be ready to get your work out on! Wondering where to start with your exercises, take our ACTIVITY PROFILE and find out! There are four types of activity categories we use to determine a customized plan for you that will encourage consistency and promote a positive addition to your life.
The Nature Lover
The nature fanatics love anything that has to do with the outdoors. The sounds of nature and the fresh air improved their mood instantly. Many love to walk or run outside and there are many benefits to this category. You can take your exercise routine anywhere, it doesn’t cost any money and has amazing stress relieving benefits! You can always alter your routes for a change of scenery or add some hills for a challenge. Bad weather can wreck a nature fanatic’s workout routine, but with some planning all is not lost. If you have access to a gym that is an option and so is firing up a workout on YouTube. As long as you get some physical activity in you are still on track.
This is currently my go-to workout on YouTube, POPSUGAR Fitness.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBINFWq52ShSgUFEoynfSwg
The Gym Lover
Gym lovers are drawn to the variety of equipment and the classes. Maybe it’s working out with other people that motivate you. It’s very easy to vary your workouts at the gym and you also can isolate what body group you work on fairly easily. This gives your body the changes it needs to continue to burn calories and reduces the risk of plateaus. Don’t let traffic, errands and chores get in the way of your fitness goals. Try to find a gym close to home or work for your convenience.
Here is an awesome weight-training plan for women!
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/4-week-weight-training-plan-women
Want to flaunt and improve on what you already have? This link gives you workouts according to your body shape, meal plans and grocery lists!
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/best-workout-for-your-body-type
The Homebody
Homebody’s prefer to work out in the comfort of there own home. No problem, you will still see benefits and progress. Plus, you are not putting out any extra money to do it. All you have to do is set yourself and your home up for success. Have a space that you are comfortable working out in and that accommodates the type of exercises your like to do. Do not get distracted doing housework, watching TV or scrolling through social media. Schedule your workout time like you would any other important event. See the link above for POPSUGAR fitness, On-Demand a workout or breakout your DVD’s (I KNOW you have a ton of them!).
The Fierce Competitor
Some people are just straight competitors. They don’t like to lose and will keep going until the end. The thrill of the game is extremely motivating for them. For best results find new ways to challenge yourself, whether it’s through a team sport or alone. There are plenty local sports leagues for every type of sport. Enjoy the game and don’t let defeat derail your energy. Keep going until you meet your goals and then set new one!
The Freestyler
If you could roll with any one of these categories of exercise you can pick one or two to start with. Rotate between the two for consistency and when you are ready to try something else simply choose two more. Don’t overwhelm yourself with indecisiveness and have four different activities going on all at once. The chances of you sticking with them all are low and it will lead to you not doing any of them. Also, it will be hard to measure your progress if you don’t stick with one or two at a time.
How Much Exercise is Enough
We have talked about the different categories of activity, now let’s talk how much. At a minimum it is suggested that you get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, that’s just five 30-minute exercise sessions a week! Studies show spending 175 to 250 minutes per week is a much better target for weight loss. To break that down that’s 35 to 50 minutes of exercise five days a week. For some Monday through Friday would be perfect, for others three weekday and two weekend workouts are more doable. However you decide to chunk it we have workouts to fit your preferences.
Small steps = Big Results
You can start off at a pace and time that works for you. The more consistent you get with your workouts and the stronger you get you will naturally be able to increase the amount of time that you can workout. Endurance is built a lot faster than you think. Fitness needs to be a priority not only for your health promotion but also for disease prevention. It is very important to incorporate cardio, resistance training and flexibility training into your fitness plan. They complement each other and help you attain the range of motion needed to avoid injury and maximize you results.
Your Benefits From Working Out
Exercise has a ton of benefits besides just losing weight. Exercise allows you to keep up with your busy life and have the energy to get through the day. Reduces the risks of all kinds of chronic diseases and makes you feel good from the inside out. Exercise is really a win-win situation. Let’s win together! What kinds of exercises get you going?