National Post recently made some suggestions to those who have decided to get themselves into better shape. The message?
Set reasonable goals.
“People will say, “I’m going to lose 30 pounds,’ when 10 pounds would be more doable. They’ll say, “I’m going to exercise every day,’ when three times a week may be more likely,” said Shawn Talbott, spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Good advice. Setting goals requires an honest assessment of where you are starting as well as an idea of where you would like to end up.
We would all like to lose all our extra weight instantly and have a dream body. But in the real world things take time.
So how do we maximize our chances of success? By setting goals that we can reach.
Carol Espel, director of group fitness for the Equinox chain of health clubs, has some more advice:
“Just get off the couch. When you come home from work, go out for a brisk walk,” she said. “Studies document that three 10-minute bouts of exercise a day can be very practical.”
It’s true that several shorter periods of exericse each day can significantly improve your health and fitness level. But even here, be realistic.
If you have a hard time arranging a daily workout, are you really going to find time to exericse three times a day?
There is another concern. It’s all well and good to say “make reasonable goals.” But don’t sell yourself short. The best long-term goal for weight loss is to achieve your ideal weight.
While it is true that you’ll get health benefits if you lose only a few pounds, there is a problem with this approach. Most people who lose just a few pounds just gain the weight back.
Those who reach their goal weight are more likely to keep the weight off in the long run. And that should be your real goal.
http://www.nationalpost.com/life/story.html?id=2386024
