“I exercise. I feel better but I am not losing weight. Am I doing it right?”
It’s summer. It’s California and the pressure to do something about that body of yours is at a peak. In spite of all the good that exercise can do for us, there are limits we should consider. What’s true:
1. The body needs to move every day during the majority of our waking hours.
2. The body thrives on a variety of movements. Repetition leads to adaptation and some of the benefits start to wane.
3. Your mental state contributes to the way your body responds to the physical stress. If you hate what you are doing or add a perfectionistic spin to your workout, stress hormones might be released. Stress hormones help us to get through hard times but also help us pack away fat for a rainy day.
4. We all have to start where we are, with our particular limitations and gradually work our way to higher levels of fitness.
5. Our workout would give us the best bang for the buck by staying within moderate levels and spicing it up with intermittent bursts of exercise intensity.
6. We also need rest, water, healthy food and a social connection. Obesity likes company. Having healthy friends contributes to the likelihood that you will be healthy too.
These are just general considerations that might guide you to investigate further into the details of healthy exercise. We can look at exercise as healthy movement that can be incorporated into your daily life.