How to Achieve Healthy Weight Loss by Moving More

Technology has made our lives much more convenient, but added ease of completing physical chores combined with our need to stay tethered to a computer all day has had an overall negative impact on our health. We’re more sedentary than ever. There’s no question activity is necessary for us to maintain our health and wellness. So, we need to help ourselves do what’s necessary to move more if we hope to achieve weight loss and improve well-being.

How to Increase Activity and Boost Weight Loss

Unfortunately, we naturally tend to make poor choices.

We use the elevator and the escalator instead of taking the stairs. Drive rather than walk 10 minutes. We spend too much time hunched in a kyphotic position and then worry about sitting disease. We’d rather binge watch a season on Netflix than get up and walk for 30 minutes. It’s no wonder our activity levels have tanked!

Our habits are ingrained, and we often are not fully aware of just how inactive and unhealthy we have become.

We sit in our comfort zones and wonder why we’re getting less fit and have lower energy levels.

We think about going to the gym, but it just seems like so much hassle to overcome the inertia and get started.

So, what to do to break the cycle?

Become Mindful of Your Activity Level

We all need to look at our home lives and find ways and means to be more active.

There are many examples of everyday tasks we can look at as opportunities.

If you can walk to the store, do it. Leave the car at home. Lace up your sneakers and enjoy the brisk walk until you get there. Take deep breaths, feel your legs working and picture your blood circulation improving as you get healthier. Be proud of yourself for trying!

Boost Weight Loss by Increasing Activity While You Work

• If you can stand instead of sit, do it. Consider getting a standing desk.
• If you can take the stairs, do it. If your office is on the 10^th floor, you may climb 3 floors first and then take the elevator the remaining 7 floors. Try to increase the levels you climb each day. In a month, you may be able to climb all 10 floors without even losing your breath.
• Working from home? Do laps on the stairs in your home in between meetings.  See how many times you can make it up and down without losing your breath. Aim to increase the flights you can take each week.

Feel the effort that you’re expending. This is the type of activity we all need in our lives.

Exercise is Key to Activity and Healthy Weight Loss

You may hate going to the gym or exercising in the beginning. If you feel this way, ask yourself why.

It’s important to know where the feelings are coming from.

Do you picture yourself struggling and panting? Do you dislike exertion? There’s no need to torture yourself during the first few sessions. You are in control.

Tell yourself that you’ll stop when you’re getting tired.

The goal, as always, is just to establish a new healthy habit. Just work to increase your activity level.

A few easy options to get you started:

• Walk on treadmill
• Do some rowing
• Cycle on a stationary bike
• Lift light weights
• Join a Pilates class
• Dance at a Zumba session
• Ride an ACTUAL Bike
• Take an ACTUAL walk in the sunshine
• Toss a ball with your dog or a frisbee with your kids

Whatever option you choose is fine, just do what feels right.

Enjoy the activity and any time you’re feeling tired or feel like you’re forcing yourself to go on – are you ready for this?

Just stop. It’s that simple. You’re in control of your activity level or your inactivity level. You choose.

Exercising at Home to Boost Weight Loss?

The same rules apply. Just START. That’s the hump to get over.

After you start, allow yourself to stop when you feel like it.

But know that you probably won’t once you begin.

Because exercising actually feels good once we begin to do it. Our bodies like to have a higher activity level.

Even if the first week only sees you exercising for 15 minutes a day, that’s fine.

Tell yourself that you’re getting better and enjoying the process and you will stick with it.

Over time, not only will you find more opportunities to include movement in your day.

You’ll also start looking forward to exercising.

Then you’ll exercise harder and longer and enjoy the afterglow that comes from endorphins being released.

With time, if your diet is on point, your weight loss will steadily increase, and you will begin look and feel better.

Want some extra motivation to take things up a level? Check out Secrets to Improve Will Power. 

Thank you as always for reading.

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KindCompassCoach

Joan Senio is the founder of KindCompassCoach. Her career includes 20+ years as a private sector corporate executive and 15 years (and counting) as a consultant and coach. The common thread through her professional life has been a commitment to compassionate leadership, including leading and mentoring current and future leaders, and women from all walks of life. KindCompassCoach articles are backed by research and include facts and advice from a wide variety of experts. Joan is a member of the International Organization of Life Coaches, serves as a thought-leader for KuelLife.com and is a regular contributor to PsychReg and Sixty and Me.