Shed Those Extra Holiday Pounds
The holidays are here once again, with all their edible temptations that we can barely resist. “This year I’ll do better!”
While we always encourage our patients to ‘live a little’, the truth is that most of us feel an urgent need to get back on the horse after the Holidays.
Where do I even start?
The first thing you need to determine is your real physical shape.
The best way to do this is to schedule a physical examination with your physician for important feedback about your physical condition.
While exercise is safe (and strongly recommended) for most people, it is best to err on the side of caution before starting any fitness regimen.
After completing the physical assessment, it is time to design a physical fitness program that is catered to your lifestyle and body type.
Remember, each facet of fitness is critical, including strength, cardiovascular health, flexibility and balance.
When designing a comprehensive fitness program, the following points are important to remember:
- Each fitness program should include a strength-training regimen. This is the best way to burn calories, improve your balance and body control, and enable your body to keep burning calories even after you have completed your workout. Most importantly, as muscle increases, a rise in general metabolism follows, and you burn more calories at rest.
- Cardiovascular exercise, such as aerobics, running, jogging, walking, hiking or dancing, is essential to any weight-loss program.
- Interval training is also important because exercising intensely for brief periods is more effective than maintaining a steady pace throughout. Because such training adds variety to the program, you are more likely to stick with it.
- Core exercises that work the midsection, oblique muscles and lower back keep your body optimally aligned for whatever activity you are doing (swimming, biking or running), which in turn reduces fatigue.
- Stretching to increase flexibility and body control will enable your muscles and limbs to reach their limits.
A successful fitness regimen includes a solid plan and the determination to stick with it. We can provide you with an enjoyable exercise program that will enable— and encourage—you to reach your fitness goal.
Want more content from TJC? Check us out on Facebook!