One of my favorite travel visits has been to Europe. It's interesting to view other cultures, foods, traditions, and daily life in other countries. I observed that most Europeans walk or bike a lot, and their diets consist of mostly basic foods so there are not very many overweight people.
Most of us really want to look fit, be fit, and have the feeling of a great fit body. But like everything else, it doesn't come without work, but the benefits really pay off. Being physically fit, however, takes more than just a one or two day a week workout. Here are a few simple tips as guidelines for a good physical fitness program.
1. Make it a Priority
Many say that 3-4 times a week is an adequate amount of exercise. But ask yourself this: Is eating 3-4 days a week going to give you adequate nutrition and energy? Daily physical exercise is just as important for you as healthy eating of good foods is. If you have the time to eat, you should have the time to be physically fit. So make it a priority and schedule a time and place, then stick to it every day.
2. Make it a Reason
Why should you exercise and why do feel it's important? If you have a reason - a good heart felt reason, write it down and look at it throughout the day and this will help you stay motivated to keep it a priority. Is your reason because:
* you want to stay in shape
* you want to loose weight
* you want to improve your health
* you want to change the direction that many of your family members are heading or have gone
* you want to have more energy and vitality
* you want to have your children or spouse, siblings to see you differently (in a healthy way)
* you want to feel better about yourself and your image
Identify your reason, write it down, post it where you see it, and let it remind you that you have a good reason to exercise daily.
3. Make a Plan
There are several forms of good physical fitness activities. Much depends on your lifestyle, your environment, your family situation, your needs, and your budget. Consider what type of exercise you want and need: the gym; in home video workout; in home gym equipment workout (weights, treadmill, bicycle, jumping on a mini-trampoline, etc.); outdoor walking, hiking, biking, or running; work related workout (weed pulling, construction, door to door salesman, etc.). Make a plan according to your lifestyle, environment, situation, needs and budget and decide on what best fits your needs.
4. Make it Fun
Those that are more likely to succeed are those who 1) exercise with another family member or friend to keep you motivated, 2) workout with music, 3) set a time to begin and end, and 4) do what you enjoy doing. Sometimes, there's more success with exercising twice each day rather than just once. You eat more than once each day to give you energy, so think about ways throughout the day to exercise more than just once. For instance, do a good fitness workout in the morning, then go on a good brisk walk, run, or bike ride in the afternoon or evening (or vice versa). But make it fun.
5. Make it an Excuse
There are times all day long that you can add more exercise to your day. You just have to think ahead and make there be a reason for exercise, such as:
* parking in the further most parking space in a parking lot
* biking to the nearby bank, park, neighbor, or even the market (small quantities can fit in a back pack)
* mowing the lawn or pulling the weeds (instead of hiring it done)
* using the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator when traveling
* going on a scenic bike ride or playing ball at the park instead of watching a television program
* go on a day hike instead of shopping at the mall (yes, there's a lot of walking with both, but the hike is more physically challenging, while the mall is just tiring)
You think of different ways to incorporate natural forms of exercise.
6. Make it Happen
You can make it happen if you make it a priority, make it a reason, make a plan, make it fun, and make it an excuse to exercise. It can and will happen if that's what you focus on. As you focus on improving yourself, you can also help others improve themselves, for we all benefit from daily exercise just as we benefit from eating great foods.
If you don't yet have the Healthy Permanent Wei*ght Management 3-CD series, you can get many other great weight loss tips at: http://livingahealthylifestyle.com/cds.htm .
For your best health,
Erleen Tilton
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