Exercise adds more fun to life!

The psychological benefits of exercise are important to the weight conscious person. Exercise reduces stress and relieves tensions that might otherwise lead to overeating. Exercise builds physical fitness which in turn builds self-confidence, enhanced self-image, and a positive outlook. When you start to feel good about yourself, you are more likely to want to make other positive changes in your lifestyle that will help keep your weight under control.

In addition, exercise can be fun, provide recreation and offer opportunities for companionship. The exhilaration and emotional release of participating in sports or other activities are a boost to mental and physical health. Pent-up anxieties and frustrations seem to disappear when you're concentrating on returning a serve, sinking a putt or going another mile! Start today. Join a tennis league or go out and buy those running shoes you know you'll use!

Start your fitness journal. Make today Day 1 in your journey.
Start getting in shape fast and add more fun to your life now!

Tips to Keep You Going

* Adopt a specific plan and write it down.
* Keep setting realistic goals as you go along, and remind yourself of them often.
* Keep a log to record your progress and make sure to keep it up-to-date.
* Include weight and/or percent body fat measures in your log. Extra pounds can easily creep back.
* Upgrade your fitness program as you progress.
* Enlist the support and company of your family and friends.
* Update others on your successes.
* Avoid injuries by pacing yourself and including a warmup and cool down period as part of every workout. Stretch slowly! Stretching helps build healthy muscles!
* Reward yourself periodically for a job well done!

Simple steps will have you getting in shape fast!

A balanced diet is a key part of any weight control plan. A diet high in complex carbohydrates and moderate in protein and fat is a good complement to a healthy exercise program. Your diet should include enough calories to satisfy your daily nutrient requirements and include the proper number of servings per day from the "basic four food groups": vegetables and fruits (4 servings), breads and cereals (4 servings), milk and milk products (2 - 4 depending on age) and meats and fish (2).

Adding 15 minutes of moderate exercise, say walking one mile, to your daily schedule will use up 100 extra calories per day. (Your body uses approximately 100 calories of energy to walk one mile, depending on your body weight.) Maintaining this schedule would result in an extra 700 calories per week used up, or a loss of about 10 pounds in one year, assuming your food intake stays the same. To look at energy balance another way, just one extra slice of bread or one extra soft drink a day – or any other food that contains approximately 100 calories – can add up to ten extra pounds in a year if the amount of physical activity you do does not increase.

The solution is simple. Skip on the soda and the sugar laden, empty calories. Start eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise. The quickest way to lose weight is with daily exercise and eating healthy!

A good cardio - or aerobic - workout at least four or five days a week will have you on the road to getting in shape fast.