Exercise - It's Essential!

Let's talk getting sweaty and doing some cardio! It is essential to exercise for your health - not just to lose weight but to maintain the loss. 

I think getting back into an exercise regimen after you have not done anything physical for a long while is the hardest thing to do! (Again I recommend checking with your doctor if you have any chronic health problems before you start working out).

It's just so hard to pick an exercise to do, start it, and feel like you are going to drop dead of exhaustion after like 5 minutes! The key is to start slow and build up. You don't want to injure yourself, so you need to gradually increase your tolerance.

My exercise of choice is the elliptical. I always recommend starting off with low impact exercises- like the elliptical, recumbent bike, rower, swimming or water aerobics. These are much easier on the joints! I started to exercise regularly again this past November, and it was rough going at first. I could only do 10 minutes on the elliptical before I had to quit. I have gradually been able to increase my time so that I now do 30 minutes.

I love the elliptical because you can go forwards or backwards and work the muscle groups in your legs differently in each direction. Two for one. I like to follow the elliptical with some incline treadmill walking. Because I am training for hiking in the mountains, the incline is a great tool to use. 

Spending even one session with a personal trainer is a great way to tailor your exercise program to your specific needs, so you get the most bang for your buck!

Lastly - don't be intimidated by all the healthy skinny people at the gym. You do you, don't worry about what everyone else is doing around you!