Ask yourself this: have you gained weight over the past few years?
It is inevitable that we will probably gain a bit of weight as we age, and yes, it does become harder to take off as we get older. However, if you are on track to gaining more than 2-3 kilos each year, than you can imagine what will happen over the next 5, 10, and 20 years. Gaining weight can escalate quickly, and before you know you, you have a very large hurdle to overcome. Weight loss isn’t rocket science: move more, eat less.
But if it’s so simple, why is it so hard?
This article is for people who haven’t been particularly active over the past few years but are looking to make a change. In terms of posture, you still need to have an active body and a healthy body weight in order to see progress. If you are largely overweight, decreasing that extra load will help the joints and alignment much more than stretching/strengthening. An exercise routine will definitely help your symptoms, however, in order to maintain the relief, it is advisable to get yourself to a healthy body weight. If you lead a very sedentary lifestyle, getting the body moving will be the first step in the right direction to improving your posture. I don’t like 4-week diet plans, 8-week fitness programs, or anything that has an end-date. What I do advocate is people taking small steps into a new way of living with more activity and better food choices.
Leading an active lifestyle is just that. It is a lifestyle. A way of living.
The first thing I want you to do is ask yourself why is it important for you to begin this journey? Write this down somewhere safe and keep it as a reminder to help keep you on track. Secondly, do not read this article if you are not seriously wanting to make a change. Changes do not have to be massive, but you will need to make a conscious effort. This article will stick to the basics to jumpstart the first 4 weeks of your active living journey. The key is to make small steady changes that you can easily factor into your lifestyle, and progress from there. It’s not as daunting as one may think.
Activity Levels (stop being so lazy!)
The first thing you want to do is increase your activity levels. Yes, you need to move. Have a look at your daily routine. How active do you think you are? Do you feel like you are physically active most days? How much time do you spend outdoors? Do you drive most places? Take a look at your daily and weekly schedules and highlight the areas where you are active. Next, highlight areas where you can increase your activity levels. Activity can be tough to track, but if you pay attention you can see where increases can be made.
Yes, housework counts: gardening, cleaning, and grocery shopping are very active tasks.
How far away is your grocery store? If you only have a few items on your list, try walking instead of driving. Yes, it takes more time, but it’s an efficient way to get some extra activity in your day. If you’re catching up with a friend for coffee, offer to grab the coffees for takeaway and go for a walk instead. You’d be surprised how many people would love that idea! Rather than a glass of wine after work, suggest an active catch-up. Bring your runners and go for a run or a walk before you grab a bite to eat. If you have to wear your gym gear to the restaurant, so be it! (I think we should be proud to wear active wear, as long as you’ve been active). But make sure to choose menu items wisely (more on this topic below).
It is also nice to be active with your family. Before a big family dinner, get everyone out for a walk before the sun goes down. You can still chat and have a laugh, but you’re also bonding and enjoying each others company while being active. All too often we sit and drink and eat. Will a 30-minute walk be really that bad? Or suggest a family lunch in the park, where you can play a few games and enjoy some activities outdoors. You’d be surprised how much everyone enjoys it. It might even become a new family tradition.
By adding extra bouts of activity into your lifestyle, you are burning more calories and using your body’s muscles and joints much more. This is all a part of creating a healthier body, as well as showing others that an active lifestyle is important. Activity doesn’t have to be strenuous or exhausting, but it does count as incidental exercise. By the end of the day, if you can reduce the time you spend sitting then you have succeeded! By increasing your overall activity level, and helping friends and family do the same, you will start to notice many benefits including some fat loss and more energy throughout your days.
This 4-week jump start is about prepping your body to become more active at a gradual and steady rate. We don’t want you to go from being sedentary to running marathons in 4-weeks. A gradual increase will help reduce your chance of injury, and increase your chances of making sustainable lifestyle choices. How many times have you heard people getting random injuries within a few weeks of a new routine? They may have started with “too much too soon” as many people do. An injury such as tennis elbow can be debilitating, especially for your parents with active kids. Other common injuries are Achilles tendon and rotator cuff strains or tears. If you are starting from a sedentary lifestyle, a gradual onset of any activity and exercise is essential.
The key to success for increasing your activity levels safely is to ensure the body is adapting to the changes.
Since humans love numbers and the ability to measure, I highly recommend tracking your activity with a pedometer or activity tool of some sort. There are free apps for your phone and other wrist options available if you want to spend a bit of money. For me, I found it valuable to see the difference in my activity levels from mu work days, non-work days, and holiday days. When I went home to visit family for 4 weeks, my activity levels were significantly lower and my food intake was significantly higher, and yes, I gained weight! Working in a gym, I walk around all day long and I walk around the city for various errands. Conversely, a lot of people drive to work, park near their building, and take the lift many times a day. Their activity is restricted to walking around the office, which is fairly minimal. It imperative for them to find ways to increase their overall daily activity levels, whether it’s walking the stairs more often, walking at lunch time, parking farther way, or getting off 1-2 stops earlier from the train or bus.
People often think they don’t have enough time in the day to be more active, but we need to find time and incorporate it into our lifestyles. Your health should be a priority. Living an active, healthier life may take more planning for some people, but we are all capable to make some daily changes in our current routines. If you want to make a change in your lifestyle, you need to consider ways to increase your activity. Your body is your shell, your vehicle if you must, for the rest of your life. You need to take care of it and keep it moving. Sure you can find some crash diet and lose 10 kilos in 2 weeks, but are those changes sustainable? Are they healthy? Is your body getting physically stronger by doing a crash diet and sitting on your butt? Have you really lost any body fat? Or have you simply lost water weight and lean mass, as well as lowered your metabolism?
In the first 4 weeks of your lifestyle change, I recommend focusing solely on the simple suggestions mentioned above to increase your daily activity levels before commencing a regimented exercise routine. If these suggestions don’t suit you, then you will need to set aside allocated time in your day for some activities of your choice.
The easiest thing to start with is walking.
Take 20-30minutes of your day to dedicated to a nice brisk walk, whether it is on your lunch break at work, or first thing in the morning. If you are nearing the end of your day and you haven’t been very active, then get outside for an after dinner stroll. Find a time that works best for you. If you have to vacuum your house everyday, then so be it! If you have to walk to the corner store for a litre of milk just to get up and active, then do it!
This new way of living is about balance and sustainable results to last a lifetime.
As you can see, increasing your daily activity levels and improving your diet can be fairly simple. You will begin to see changes in your physique and you’ll probably feel a lot better, both of which will motivate you to stick to this healthier way of living. Take it one day at time and make changes that are sustainable to you. As the changes become easier, you can then progress to bigger changes for increased results (stay tuned to www.balancedpostureonline.com for more).
Remember, it is much easier to be lazy and gain weight then it is to be active and lose weight.
If you are looking for a way to help get you started the right way, try our 6 Weeks to Better Posture Program, a progressive format to help incorporate key postural areas into your new routine (for all-levels).
Don’t let your bad habits predict your future.
