Fall into Fitness: Tips to Burn More Calories
Fall is the perfect time to start a brand new fitness routine or to rethink your old one. Do you find it difficult to exercise after a long tiring day? Or, are you totally unmotivated to move your muscles first thing in the crisp-air morning? We hear ya!
It’s important to keep in mind is that exercise is not an all or nothing proposition. If it’s hard to set aside a 30-minute block at a specific time, you can get the same benefits by engaging in 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity 3 times a day. Just make sure your heart rate goes up each time. Bottom line: Your daily goal should be around 30 minutes of cardio everyday, divided throughout the day as needed.
We all know the benefits of exercise – achieving our weight-loss goals and improving our overall health are just two of them – but what many of us tend to forget is that activity does not have to be painful, tedious, or boring. Any type of vigorous physical activity that gets your body moving burns calories – and burning calories is the ultimate goal. A brisk walk after lunch or dinner is just as good as sweating it out in the gym after work. Try to choose things you like to do and recruit friends, colleagues, and family whenever you can. Make it fun and you’re more likely to do it.
Now, as the temps get colder in some parts of the country, it’s also the perfect time to invest in some warmer workout clothes. Heck, invest in new clothes no matter where you live. Treat yourself. Sometimes a new article of clothing may be enough motivation to reboot your routine. It’s all about the gear – right? Wrong! But for some people, it may be a retail-related incentive.
In addition to 30 minutes of daily activity, daily chores and movement count as exercise! Whether it’s raking leaves in a crisp Fall day, dancing to music on a Friday night, or taking a walk in your neighborhood with the dog. It all adds up! So, keep moving.
Tips on How to Get More Activity Into Your Day
Try using an app or pedometer to count your daily steps or map your distance online.
Mix in some short runs with your walking to get your heart rate up.
Use the stairs, not elevators or escalators. Add a few steps each time you go.
Unload groceries from your care to your kitchen one bag at a time.
Carry folded laundry upstairs one small stack at a time.
Park far away from the store or mall and clock up more steps.
Stand, don’t sit, during phone calls. Walk while you talk!
Each time you sit, squeeze in your abs for 5 seconds.
Do desk exercises and stretches every hour while working at your desk.
Get off the couch! During TV ads, do jumping jacks or march in place.
Take a break from your desk, climb the stairs to the top floor and back.
Source: Understanding Your Body’s Energy Balance for an Active, Healthy Lifestyle, Together Counts
