What do roller skates, hula-hooping, Zumba (Latin rhythm aerobic dancing), Kickboxing and swimming have in common? They're all fun — and they all burn calories while you're doing. Research shows that when you enjoy yourself, you're more likely to stick with an activity. And the more you stick with it, the more pounds you will drop.
"Pick things you as a family can do, such as cycling, walking, climbing, canoeing or bowling, to keep everyone striving for better health" says Kelli Calabrese, M.S., exercise physiologist and fitness consultant. Some local parks can offer fitness courses that you can tackle together. Choose a weekend to head to a park and go walking. Or check out a local farm and go apple picking. "Take a martial arts class. Everyone from experts to a novice together; you all start as a white belt and progress from there"says Calabrese. Or, simpler, throwing around a football, ice skating or take a long walk with the dog once or twice a week. Even if you're not the outdoor type, exercise can be more fun for the whole family. With Nintendo the Wii Fit game, even the most committed couch potatoes will enjoy standing on the Wii Balance Board and following instructions on the screen for yoga, aerobics, weight training — even hula hooping. You earn points for good performanceand feedback on how you can improve.
Always wanted to try in-line skating, golf, cross-country skiing or ballroom dancing? Would you like to join a softball league of football team or take yoga, tennis or Salsa dancing? Do it! You will learn something new and lose weight at the same time. Make sure that local community organizations or the YMCA for affordable classes. For even more fun, get a group of friends to learn a new, calorie-burning activity together.
If you don't have a full hour (or even half an hour) to spend every day, try divvying it up in different mini workouts during the day. "Dividing your typical training in half (say, 15 minutes in the hour and another 15 in the night), or even in third (10 minutes a session) isn't just a great way to get your brain out of boredom: it can give an even greater calorie-burning result" says fitness expert Myatt Murphy, author of the Body You Want in the time you have. "That's because you still only burn the same number of calories during exercise, but after each mini training, your metabolic rate will be increased by about 30 to 60 minutes, during which time you will burn more calories than usual. Doing two to three intense, smaller trainings, and your body can burn more calories than it would be from a single daily routine". Distribution of your training may even help you more become dedicated to losing weight. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found that people who exercised during 10 minutes several times a day can exert an average of 35 minutes more per week than subjects who were told to do the same amount of exercise in only one session per day.
After a sudden urge to get fit and lose weight, you should immediately go for a 60-minute walk or lift 15-pound dumbbells in the gym? Of course not! This will only increase the risk of injury. Even if you don't hurt yourself, you'll be convinced the exercise is too difficult and to shut down before you started really. The solution? Start slow and work on an intensity that feels comfortable. Begin with a leisurely 15 minutes and then work your way up in speed and duration. Then leave and try new activities, or water aerobics or tai chi, nature walks or bicycle ride. The best part: the entire time your body adapts to increased exercise, you are burning calories and on your way to drop the weight.
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