Two effective ways to begin exercising.....

Today's post:  Thursday, 11-2-2017

In some ways the most important way to start a fatloss program is to begin to exercise regularly if you haven’t already.

Yes.  Eliminating the most fattening and harmful foods and drinks is essential.

Eating the foods that protect your health without fattening you and that keep you from getting extra hungry instead is the important step to replace those harmful foods and drinks.

For many that can be enough to lose 25 or 30 pounds without any further effort to cut back.

Others need to build up to more vigorous levels of exercise.  Some may need to find a way to cut back calories some days a month too.  And, many other people need to remove an obstacle or two to make fat loss work because those obstacles can block the other methods.

Since all those other steps may be needed, what are the reasons that the most important way to start a fatloss program is to begin to exercise regularly if you haven’t already?

1.  The biggest one is that it’s proven to be so! 

Over and over again, studies show that people who begin to exercise regularly even as little as one or two very easy sessions a week, find themselves eating less fattening things and eating better.  People who smoke even quit or smoke less.

Miraculously, those added actions seem almost effortless.

Why on earth does this happen?  The social psychologists found out it changes your self image.

When you begin to exercise regularly, it’s as if you ask yourself why.  And then you think it must because I’m the kind of person who takes action to protect my health and be more able.

It’s like a self image switch is turned on.  Then too people usually already know some things that they could do that are healthier choices.  Now they think of themselves as the kind of person who takes actions of this kind, it’s easy to do them or do more of them!

A contributing effect is that sedentary people don’t get enough blood flow to their brains to think very well.  Even light moderate regular exercisers do!  So they think better!

2.  Two effective ways to begin exercising.....

There two ways to begin exercising that have been proven to work.

I’ve benefitted from each of them.

a)  Work out with other people!:

When I was younger, I had access to a gym with weights.  I knew that doing a few different kinds of exercise and using gradually more and more weight on each one was important. Since I began with weights that I could lift easily, I could lift more on each exercise each time. 

At first, I used relatively light weights and could add more most times with no trouble.

(THAT IS the best way to ensure you feel successful and not get injured.  So I did the right thing.)

But then I got to the point where the heavier weights I wanted to lift simply wouldn’t move for me.  Since at that time, I had no clue what to do, I began to feel anxious when I did exercises where I was likely to fail in reaching my goals. 

Not realizing I was missing the techniques to solve this, I felt like a failure when I went to the gym.  And eventually I stopped going.

Then I made friends my first year in college with two very bright guys who worked out two evenings a week with some experienced power lifters.

I liked these guys and the men they worked out with.  So I went too.  At first of course, it was easy as I used relatively light weights.

Then when heavier weights were harder, I often didn’t lift them.  But instead of allowing my anxiety to force me to quit, I wanted to stay in the group and went anyway.

Then, much to my surprise and delight gains I was unable to make in one week sometimes DID happen in three to five weeks.

Some evenings I felt good and went and lifted poorly.  But it was OK because I enjoyed being in the group.  Other evenings I felt terrible but went to be in the group and was astounded to find I did well.

My enjoyment of being in the group and seeing how they succeeded first hand simply lifted me over my previous difficulties.

b) The other way is to do a short workout at home with the same weights each time that are easy to lift.

My wife really did the right thing.  I was complaining I couldn’t go to the gym and did NO exercise.  I had ONE 15 pound dumbbell at home.  That was really light for me.  At that time I could easily lift twice that much or more in each exercise.

She said that lifting that dumbbell in a regular routine several mornings a week would be far better than doing not exercise.

So, I did it. Much to my surprise, by doing these short sessions first thing in the morning before the demands of the day later, I was able to almost never miss a session..

(I’ve kept gradually getting heavier dumbbells since. I got 25 pounds and then 35 and 40 and then 45 and 50.  Now I’m still that regular but I’m now a good bit stronger too!)

I’ve since seen statistics that show whether you do strength training or brisk walking or jump rope, people who exercise first thing in the morning, tend to exercise more days a week and to keep exercising far more than people who exercise later in the day.

c)  Another way to get into exercise and keep doing it by going with a group is to go to classes with other people.  Sometimes this works for both men and women when such group exercise is offered where they work.

Also, most gyms and health clubs have several kinds of regular classes that are often aimed at women.

These classes are often given in the morning before people work and during the time many people go to lunch or just after work.  Sometimes these places make a deal with nearby businesses to give their employees access to these at discount.

And there is good news just out saying that these classes ALSO help people feel better by quite a bit too:

Medical News Today just had this:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319914.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-us

Besides being a great way to start exercising and a way to beat performance anxiety, people who want exercise or fatloss to feel better may do well to exercise in a small or larger group according to this study.

Getting fit with friends may boost life quality

http://mnt.to/du/4KfS

New research suggests that exercising with a group of people rather than on your own brings more mental, emotional, and physical benefits overall.