Now...don't go using this blog entry as an excuse to only do 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise - because that would just be wrong. But I do hear over and over again from guests and friends that they don't do exercise because they don't have an hour to spend and they don't think less time will do anything. Well - here it is in black and white: some exercise is WAY BETTER than no exercise. Even 20 minutes. Actually, 20 minutes is 20x better than no exercise. If all you did was 20 minutes of cardio, six days a week, controlled your portion size, ate a healthy diet the majority of the time and reduce the amount of toxins (smoking, alcohol, sugar, etc) that you put into your body the results would amaze you.
Honestly when anyone is just beginning a new healthy lifestyle I recommend only beginning with 20 minutes of exercise as many days a week as possible (along with a healthy diet, of course). If I have a client who is going from no exercise along with unhealthy eating habits - the quickest way to lead them to failure is to overload them with too much exercise. You must take baby steps to change your lifestyle. Too big of step and you can trip and fall and give up. Set yourself up for success with obtainable goals.
Now...with that said....when you have time to do a 30, 40, 60 or more-minute workout - DO IT! It's great for your heart and will burn lots of calories! Plus you will have more energy and sleep better. It's a win, win.
So....next time you say, "I can only get in 20 minutes of cardio today - I guess I will just skip it because it won't do any good" - just remember this blog. And then go get on that treadmill.
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The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge
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1 comments:
This is so true! After my 3 week visit to FR last March I was worried about going home and getting less exercise. I committed to at least walking 30 minutes per day and moderate but healthy eating. I have continued to lose weight (albeit slowly) all this time. As it turns out, some days I only get 20 minutes of walking in and don't always make the best food choices but my weight is still going in the right direction. So instead of making myself feel guilty for not exercising for an hour and then giving up, I've accepted that I'm not perfect but that every little bit helps. Now it feels like a way of life and not some extremely difficult task. I'm looking forward to my next visit (Thanksgiving week) ready to kick it into high gear again! Pat M.
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