I have been asked this question many times. Is there a best exercise for losing weight. There is so much more to losing weight than just exercise. Studies have been performed at major universities and there are 3 combinations that need to occur for efficient long lasting weight loss. The big three are Nutrition, Strength Training and Aerobics. There are so many different programs on the market today. How do you know which one is right for you? Look at your current lifestyle and see what will fit into it. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle you are not going to go and train for a triathlon. You may want to start with a seated isometric exercise program that will teach you how each muscle should feel when it is properly worked. Once you are comfortable with the isometric exercise then it is time to add resistance. To add that resistance try an isoband or any other rubber tubing. To add some variety to your workouts take those isometric exercises and perform full range of motion moves with light to medium hand weights (3-5 lbs). Always start with the basics and listen to your body. It will let you know when enough is enough. If you are just beginning 10 minutes of strength training is a good place to start. Then after a week add in another 5 minutes. Let your body become accustomed to exercising versus a hard core workout with you not being able to get out of bed the next morning. Healthy nutrition is also a large part of losing weight. You will need to make smarter healthier choices with your food intake. Portion sizing is an absolute must. Most of us tend to overeat. Cut way down on your junk foods but don't cut them out totally. Save them for a special occasion no more than once a week and only a portion size. I have found that through the years we all have good intensions and we tend to cut out our favorite foods. What occurs is you think about what you are missing, then you obsess over what you are missing and then you over indulge in what you were missing. If you only had a single portion size of what ever it is you want only once a week then you will not obsess over the loss of a favorite food. Also do not go under 1000 calories. You need energy to produce energy. Too many of us have the frame of mind to cut way back with calories thinking that the less we eat the more we will lose. In reality what happens is you are slowing down your metabolism because the body does not know where or when the next meal will be. Aerobic activity means adding more oxygen into your system. When your heart rate increases because of movement you will breathe quicker. Going from a sedentary lifestyle to a 10 minute walk every day is a great start. After one week add in another 5 minutes to your walk. Walking is the easiest form of aerobic activity. You can do it anywhere anytime with out equipment. For those of you that are already performing aerobic activities I will encourage you to try something different. If you always go out for a 30 minute walk the same route the same pace the body will get used to it. It will become more and more difficult to lose weight. Change up your walk by adding in a hill or every few minutes quicken your pace. There is a huge variety of activities that will get your heart rate up. Swimming, circuit training, skating, even raking leaves will get the heart rate elevated. The idea is to get your heart rate elevated and keep it elevated for at least 30-45 minutes 5 days a week. There are so many theories out there and testing being done just listen to your body. Start with 10 minutes and slowly add in the additional time. You can also break up your time into several segments a day if needed. The bottom line is JUST MOVE!! Ellen Miller is a certified Fitness Practitioner/Personal Trainer teaching for the past 25 years. Ellen writes for her monthly newsletter, New Orleans Wedding Magazine and North Shore Health and Wellness. Isobreathing has been nominated for Innovator of the year 2006 by New Orleans City Business. She has snippets at www.youtube.com/isobreathing. Ellen sells DVD's,CD's and Booklets of the IsoBreathing program at www.isobreathing.com
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