Exercise: Tips for Beginners
September 3rd, 2005 by Y.G.Another eDiets article by Raphael Calzadilla (I already linked to one of his pieces in a previous entry), this time about tips for people who want to start exercising. Since exercise can play a great role in weight loss—I don’t deny that you can lose weight without it, but in my opinion it’s less easy and less efficient— it’s important to know how to begin, in order not to feel discouraged or, worse, hurting oneself.
One piece of advice I especially like is this one, because it applies to many, many people:
3. GET REAL: Take a close look at your schedule and be realistic concerning how many days and how much time you can realistically devote to exercise. This is going to be long-term so it has to be based on reality. Too many people start working out every day and think that’s the best approach. Wrong approach! For example, start by saying, “I have two to three days to devote to exercise for only 45 minutes at a time.” It’s the combination of efficient nutrition and exercise consistency that will yield the greatest benefit, not simply excessive exercise.
45 minutes three times a week for years is surely more efficient than dutifully doing one hour for six days, then giving up for good upon realizing that it’s just not possible on the long term!
There’s more to the article, of course. You can read it in its entirety on this page.
