Abracadiet,You’re Moving

It was this belief that if I spent at least an hour in the gym I did not have to do anything else.

60 minutes of working out was sufficient and now I can eat whatever and whenever.

Oh, how I wish this were true.

That is not the case for me.

There are some individuals who can do this and lose weight, but not this girl!

I had to learn to switch things up.

Otherwise, I would have just been happy listening to my trap music and being on the elliptical for 60 minutes, 3 times a week.

It was found that I could cut my exercise in half if my nutrition was balanced.

I went from spending an hour in the gym, to going 25-minute workouts at home. How?

Resistance training.

Resistance training is when there is an oppositional force put on your muscles that will have to be overcome (cited source).

I did not fully understand how resistance training worked until I began my graduate studies in exercise science.

We had to come up with a personalized program for an individual and I applied it to myself and saw great results.

While I encourage exercise, I understand that some people may not be able to do certain exercises.

The primary focus in my opinion should be nutrition.

On January 1st, people are in a hurry to crowd gyms and eat better.

Then by February 1st, the crowds begin to go down. By April it is down to the regulars.

That is because it is too much pressure on individuals to maintain working out while eating healthy.

My suggestion is to start eating better first and take baby steps.

I believe everyone loves French fries. I say have them! Just do not eat them every day, and if you have them from a fast-food burger place opt to get a junior version of a burger, ditch the bun and enjoy your fry as normal.

Just in this example, you can cut 200 calories. That is progress, man.

Go grocery shopping afterward at a big Farmer’s Market and get those steps after your meal on top of it! Now you have cut calories and exercised.

Make getting movement part of your normal day. You do not need a gym.

Park further from the front door at places you shop, walk to the mailbox two times a day, leave the remote by the tv (forces you to get up when switching what to watch), etc.

There are so many ways to increase movement without overworking.

Please share your movement journey and tips that got you going below!

Reference:

1. Sullivan J. Everything You Need to Know About Resistance Training. Women’s Health. January 14, 2021. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a35141213/what-is-resistance-training/. Accessed January 5, 2022.