After weight-loss surgery, your long-term success will be
determined by your commitment to exercise and healthy eating.
While your diet will incorporate a wide variety of foods, nearly
all of your exercise – regardless of your health – will begin
with one simple activity: walking. Though walking is often taken
for granted, a deeper understanding of the activity can yield
remarkable weight-loss results.
Here are several ways you can
turn a seemingly simple activity into an effective
calorie-burning workout.
Talk to your doctor
Before you begin a regular regimen of walking or any other form
of exercise, you should consult your physician. Your doctor will
be able to tell you what types of activities are best for your
health and help you structure a healthy walking schedule that
fits your needs.
Use a pedometer
A pedometer is one of the best tools you can use to both
encourage and organize your walking habits. This incredibly
affordable device will keep track of your steps throughout the
day, allowing you to see how your daily habits affect your
movement. After your competitive impulses kick in, you will want
to top your number of steps each day. After remaining committed
over time, you will also notice your walking totals increasing
hand-in-hand with your weight loss numbers.
Keep a journal
The easiest way to keep track of your steps and compare your
daily results is the creation of a journal. Beyond a catalog of
your walks and the steps counted on your pedometer, you can use
your journal to document your exercise, meals and weight-loss
results. As weight-loss surgeons often recommend keeping a
journal after surgery to encourage healthy eating habits, adding
your walking and exercise results in one convenient book will
help you simplify your entire routine. http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/
Dress the part
When getting ready to walk or exercise, it can be very helpful
to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. By wearing garments
that promote healthy movement, you will be more inspired to push
on during your walks. More importantly, you should always wear
supportive athletic shoes when exercising or walking. Failing to
wear the right shoes could not only end your walk early, it
could lead to injury and potentially the end of your healthy
routine. And don't forget to include sunscreen as part of your
walking attire!
Work on your posture
Much as the right pair of shoes will help you avoid injury,
practicing good posture while walking can allow you to extend
your workouts and limit your downtime. To avoid back pain and
make the most of your walking, focus on standing up straight
without arching your back or leaning forward. Next, keep your
chin up and try to suck in your stomach and behind. Lastly,
relax your shoulders by shrugging and letting your arms fall to
your sides naturally.
Move your arms
While you are walking, swinging your arms will help you
maintain your good posture and burn a few extra calories along
the way. You might also notice that using your arms while
walking can propel you forward, helping you maximize your
workout and hit your weight-loss targets.
Get warmed up
Before setting out on a walk or beginning an exercise routine,
you should always warm up to prolong your energy and prevent
injury. Prior to walking, you should perform some simple
movements that allow you to stretch your arms and legs. As you
merely want to prepare your muscles for walking, your warm up
does not need to be strenuous.
Cool yourself down
After you have finished walking, you should stretch again to
ward off the pains and cramps that often follow exercise. More
importantly, a healthy stretching regimen – both before and
after walking – will allow you to maintain your exercise
schedule for the long term. Obviously, if pain or injuries
prevent you from walking or exercising, you will burn fewer
calories and find it far more difficult to meet your weight-loss
goals.
When thinking about the exercise required to meet weight-loss
goals, it is important to remember that your activities don't
need to be complicated or difficult to perform. In fact, the
tips outlined here will allow you to build an entire exercise
regimen out of nothing but walking. When the time comes to try
new sports and activities, you can then use all of the skills
you developed while walking to take both your weight loss and
healthy lifestyle to the next level.
http://hallosushant.blogspot.com/
About The Author: Carole S. Guinane, a Chief Clinical Officer
writes articles about obesity and weight loss for New Hope Today
[http://www.newhopet oday.com].