Finding the Right Exercise for You

Since people at work started noticing me lose weight I’ve gotten asked numerous times how I lost the weight. The underlying question they want to know is what the best way to lose weight is, and there is no easy way to answer that question. My answer is “It  depends on you and what you like to do and what you hate doing.” Personally I hated the idea of paying membership fees, and exercising on equipment just wasn’t as fun to me as going outside. I really enjoy seeing new places, even if it is just a new part of the park. I used that to motivate me to get outside.

If you choose an exercise that you don’t enjoy doing, you aren’t going to keep doing it for a long period of time.  For example if you don’t like to jog, you aren’t going to get up at 6 AM and go for a jog.  If you can’t find something you enjoy doing, just try to find something you don’t despise. As long as you don’t dread doing it every day you should be able to motivate yourself for a week or two at least. During that time you need to find something fun about what you’re doing. If you can’t make exercise fun its going to be hard to stick with it in the beginning because it takes a while to start shedding the pounds.

If you don’t know where to start, walking is great exercise, as it suits all levels of fitness.  Anyone can start walking at any time, it is the intensity and duration that differs depending on your fitness level.  Walking is also a social exercise, as it isn’t difficult to find a friend to chat with while you exercise.  Walking with a partner will also make time go by faster and motivate you to continue doing it on a regular basis. If you find a co-worker to go with you it makes for a fun, healthy way to spend your lunch break.

No matter what exercise you choose, you should start at a low level of intensity and build it up over a period of weeks, which is essential to the longevity of your exercise program.  If you start off too hard, you could end up with an injury which will require time off to get over. This will also give you a goal to strive towards which should help you stay motivated.

If you’re looking for something different you may want to try a fitness center.  They have loads of variety and normally have trainers on hand to answer any questions you may have.  If you don’t have any friends you would like to exercise with, a fitness center can also give you a place to meet new people. After all everyone at the fitness center will have the same goal as you – to get fit. When choosing a fitness center you should make sure that the equipment they use is well taken care of.  It’s easy to  find out, as all you have to do is listen to the machines.  If they squeak a lot or make noise,  then chances are they aren’t being taken care of. Most fitness centers have a trial membership, make sure you take advantage of it!