Get that heart pumping!
Exercise is good for you - we all know this, it is a fact based on evidence. It’s good for you physically and mentally, will help promote weight loss, improve your aerobic fitness, get you stronger, push your stamina up in fact it really is part of the ‘holy grail’ of living longer, enjoying life and helping you feel more comfortable in your own skin.
When I advise people about exercise especially if they want to promote weight loss I always say that to get the most out of their session you have to GET THAT HEART PUMPING! Many times I hear people say that they exercise every day by walking - yes this is a start, it gets you moving but is your heart getting into the zone you need it to? To get the full effects of a ‘walk to aid fitness’ you need to feel slightly out of breath, have a sheen of sweat on you too, a leisurely stroll around the block will unfortunately not do much for you in terms of fitness, yes it will help your mental health which is great but fitness, not really.
To improve your fitness you need to start marching, get that pace up, get your breathing going at a higher rate. Walking at a leisurely Sunday afternoon pace will maybe blow those cobwebs away but won’t help you in the weight loss journey, you have to get that heart rate up to burn the calories. Get yourself a fitness tracker which has a heart rate monitor that measures your heart rate on your wrist. I know they’re not 100% accurate ( you need to wear a chest-belt if you want a more truthful score) but it's a start.
If you get yourself a fitness tracker it will measure your steps as well, now walking 10,000 steps is again a start, BUT it’s not going to improve your fitness that much, you need to do MORE to get the results. Use the tracker as another way of measuring how you move along with other ways your exercising, get yourself a bike and go for rides with the family or go for a little jog (it will definitely get your heart rate up even a 20 minute x 3 times a week one will make a difference!).
If exercising outside is still a little intimidating for you, try a hiit workout 15-20 mins 2-3 times a week at home, it will get you fitter cardio-wise and stronger as bodyweight exercises are incorporated in many of the routines. Or invest in a stationary bike - or even better A ROWING MACHINE! Both of these pieces of cardio equipment are low impact so perfect if your joints aren’t what they used to be. Unlike pounding the pavements, riding or rowing puts less pressure on your joints so it benefits any ages and can also aid fitness if rehabbing from an injury that is stopping you performing your normal workouts.
So remember if your aim is to improve your all IMPORTANT fitness, lose a few inches and boost your mental health you need to increase the 10,000 steps, make your heart rate climb and make yourself sweat a little - if you achieve all these I promise you will see the results you want and if you keep at it and make it a lifestyle choice then your life in the present and future will become much more enjoyable physically and mentally.