I Gained HOW MUCH?? Move It to Lose It.

Here are some strategies to lose weight or inches, and sustain the loss.

I was sick for a couple of weeks in November. I ached everywhere, was listless and did not feel like moving, and was rather sedentary. I ate, however (mainly liquids to soothe my sore throat), and, after a week, was surprised to see that I had gained 4 pounds! Wow, did that happen quickly. And the extra weight stuck with me until I returned to my typical daily routine, which involves movement throughout the day.

To take off weight and keep it off, rather than limit calories, my philosophy is to eat what you need (with good food choices), and to move.

I use the term movement in lieu of exercise because exercise is a single activity of a finite duration that you plan into your day. Movement consists of a variety of activities, planned and unplanned, that you incorporate throughout your day. In addition to expending energy / burning calories, movement also creates energy by increasing your metabolism.

So, how do you establish a daily routine of movement? Multitask by including movement in your daily activities:

Move While On The Telephone

We all use cordless phones, be it your office phone or cellphone or both. Now, I realize many of you work at the computer while talking on the phone, so you will need to try to get out of your chair every once in a while. Cordless phones allow mobility.

While on the phone, you can walk around your house or office, stretch, bounce, dance, and perform other mainly lower body activities. If you prefer full-body exercise, use the speaker function; you can pause to write or type notes if necessary. Be like Rocky - do jabs, shoulder rolls, and bouncing feet. The movement is gentle, not taxing, so you are not stressing the body - you are invigorating it!

And, hoopers, start off with waist hooping. If you have room, you can add walking and circling! Nice way to brighten the conversation.

Move While Reading

Every day, it is common to read a newspaper, journal, magazine, and/or book, either in print or electronically with a portable device. Print media is portable (even heavy textbooks - add some weight to your workout). Therefore, you can get up and move while you read. As a student, I would study while walking outside. I am a fierce advocate of exercising to augment learning; I believe retention of the material is supplemented by movement.

Move during Pauses

You're on hold, waiting for food to finish heating, waiting for a file to download, or waiting for a program to install. All opportunities to sneak in some movement. I realize that you are likely productive during these pauses and performing other duties (we are a nation of multitaskers after all), but try to incorporate some movement in there as well.

Resistance Bands for upper body toning

I love resistance bands, especially those made with soft gel. They are small and portable. You can use them while at your desk, while reading, and during a walk. They are great not only for strengthening but for stretching the muscles as well. Use light resistance and high reps to increase the heart rate for an energy boost.

Conclusion

Adding movement throughout your day is a wonderful way to burn excess calories, stay in shape, and feel energetic. It does require conscious effort, however, so you may want to give yourself prompts such as post-it notes by your telephone or on your book. Soon these movement boosts will become routine to serve as a wonderful supplement to great days.