Fine-Tuning Your Exercise Program

If you haven't been exercising, starting a safe, doctor-approved program will really help you lose weight faster and more effectively. If you have been exercising, you will want to fine-tune your efforts so that your eating and exercise plans will work together to help you lose weight and keep it off. For most people, a balanced exercise plan should include cardio, which gets your heart rate up to burn calories and improve your cardiovascular system; strength training, which works your muscles to, obviously, strengthen them and build them up so that you burn more calories even at rest; and flexibility exercises, like yoga, stretching and Pilates, which keep you limber and youthful as you're building muscle. I used to focus so much on cardio that I ignored the other two areas, but as I began to lose weight, I saw the value in the three-pronged approach.

An average week of exercise for me looks like this:

Monday--one hour of spinning (LOVE this cardio option as it's non weight-bearing and simply incinerates calories)
Tuesday--50-minute flexibility and tone yoga or Pilates tape
Wednesday--one hour Cardio Muscle class at the gym to burn calories and build muscle strength
Thursday--one hour of spinning
Friday--one hour of Cardio Muscle
Saturday--90-minute outdoor run
Sunday--60-to-90-minute walk with running intervals

That may sound like a lot of exercise to some, but for me, it just feels off to start my day with a workout. Keep in mind that this isn't a rigid plan; some days my schedule keeps me from doing any exercise. (Case in point: I spent 12 hours at Disneyland yesterday and did no formal exercise, but burned PLENTY of calories.)

My point in telling you about my exercise schedule is to show you how I VARY what I do in a week. I don't run everyday because that could tax my joints. I don't spin everyday because I could easily burn out on that. I like throwing in the yoga or Pilates to mix things up. This schedule helps keep me from getting bored or injured, and I welcome the opportunity to try something new as well.

Keep the balanced philosophy in mind for your own exercise regimen--if you try to do too much of one thing, you could get tired of it or even hurt yourself. So try a little variety, and you'll be more likely to stick to it.

Next post: Beware the 1,000-calorie salad!