Exercise Should Be Playtime for Grownups

When we say Stop Losing and Win, one of the most important bits of information to remember is when you lose weight, up to one third of each pound is going to be lean tissue. Muscle.

Muscles are necessary:

• to get you upright from a chair

• to allow you to stand up straight to your full height

• to stop yourself from falling

• and climb a flight of stairs

Everything you typically do. Muscles work in tandem with your bones to keep you active and independent, so this is about protecting your bones as well.
When you know that, it is easy to understand why exercise is so important as we maintain. All of us who have lost weight have some rebuilding to do, and then active prevention of muscle and bone loss as each year goes by. We will write much more about this in the future, but it is the inspiration behind our determination to stop you from going on the next diet.

All of us who have lost weight have some rebuilding to do, and then active prevention of muscle and bone loss as each year goes by.

All sources say that exercise is necessary for maintenance. Still, nobody is going to keep exercising long if what they are doing becomes hateful, painful or discouraging. How can you find exercise that you will look forward to and actually do?

• Think about your childhood activities and preferences. Did you prefer competitive activities, or were you happier riding your bike and climbing trees? Competitors might be happiest doing exercise where they can track and measure their improvements, or team sports. Others might enjoy a spin or Zumba class where everyone is doing parallel play.

• What is available to you? Do you have an active dog? Well then, your cardio workout is a given. My Medicare program lowers the cost of a gym membership considerably. Except for the months they were closed due to Covid, I have been able to enjoy a great deal of variety there.

• Reading about the National Weight Control Registry, most of those over 10,000 long-term successful weight loss maintainers walk an hour most every day. Sources say a half hour of getting your heart beating harder most days will do you a lot of good. Most anyone can walk, but adding an activity or two that would strengthen the upper body would be wise. Adding ski poles to your walk, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing are going to give you a full body workout.

In order to rebuild and retain strength, two sessions each week of resistance training are important. This can be done with weights, bands, body weight, or machines. Learning how to do exercises correctly can mean greater gains in the long run. Doing this with others can make it play.

So, what are you thinking might be fun? Love to dance? Ever tried Zumba? Check out classes on the internet, many are free. Get your heart pumping harder most days of the week, and use those muscles!