Losing Weight Through Diet And Exercise

Although it is very easy to gain weight, it is often extremely difficult to lose the extra pounds. Your body is remarkably efficient in storing calories and will actually slow down your metabolism if you attempt to lose this stored energy by dieting alone.

You need to increase your physical activity while reducing your caloric intake to actually shed unwanted pounds.

Can you simply incorporate more physical activity into your daily life?

You can always restructure your usual routine to add more physical activity into your daily life. However, you must be disciplined enough to avoid the many temptations that can lead you astray from the program.

A brisk walk in the morning, evening, or perhaps during your lunch break is a good low-impact exercise activity that you can do on your own schedule. You can also incorporate more walking into your daily life by taking the stairs instead of an elevator or walking to the local convenience store instead of driving.

Brisk walking will also release endorphins, natural painkillers that produce feelings of mild euphoria. This can help with cravings for snacks that are more related to stress relief than hunger.

Why should you join a fitness club?

If you feel that you lack the will to avoid the temptations of home and you want a more structured fitness regimen, a fitness club like Aspen Hill Club may be the answer. Fitness clubs offer many choices that cater to your personality type and your fitness goals. The two most basic choices are individual training or group classes.

Individual training in a fitness club

Individual training may consist of primary aerobic exercise, which focuses on the cardiovascular system. This can be done using treadmills, stationary cycles, or elliptical machines.

You may also decide to focus on strength training with resistance machines or free weights to build muscle as you lose fat. You may not actually lose weight through strength training, because muscle weighs more than fat, but it is likely that the weight that you seek to lose is excess fat, so your goals are likely to be met.

A combination of both aerobic and strength training is best for overall conditioning while losing weight.

Fitness classes

If you prefer the structure and camaraderie of fitness classes, there are many choices to meet your needs and preferences. Basic aerobics classes incorporate a variety of movements to improve cardiovascular health, enhance overall conditioning, and burn those unwanted calories.

You can even try more adventurous classes such as Zumba, which incorporates dance moves into the workout, or cardio kickboxing, which mimics kickboxing training (without getting hit, or course). If you want a more low impact activity that still provides great physical conditioning, yoga classes may be your best choice. Although you simply hold static poses for a short time, it is more difficult and challenging than it looks and burns a number of calories in the process.

The most important criteria to consider when choosing a weight loss activity is finding an activity that is sustainable so you can take off the weight and keep it off for good. Find an activity that you would perform even if you didn't need to lose weight, and you will remain faithful and consistent.