I told you about the pedometer exercise plan where you add steps to your daily routine, but you don’t need a pedometer. You can use your watch and still have your exercise add up..
If you’re finding it hard to get motivated or it seems like you’ll never get that 30 minutes of walking in each day, start with just 5. But do it 5 minutes out of your front door and then 5 minutes back. That’s easy isn’t it? It even sounds easier. Come on… you can walk for five minutes and turn around and come back. Do that three times a day and you’ve met your daily goal. Then when you’re ready add a couple of minutes. It will just get easier and easier. It’s simple math that even a diet dummy can figure out.
TODAY: PUT ON YOUR WATCH AND WALKING SHOES.
They have now found that the benefits of any aerobic exercise lasts for an amazing 72 hours! It turns out that studies show that it helps your glucose levels and gets your metabolism revved up for three full days. Don’t get it in your mind that you can just skip a couple of days. But it means that if your schedule only gives you three days a week to ride your bike, run, fast walk, do a stepper, etc. you will be in much better shape but if you do more than that you’ll see more results. It also explains why on your day off you still feel better and feel better about yourself.
TODAY: WORK UP A SWEAT.
Yesterday I told you to dig out that pedometer you have. I know one is around your house somewhere. McDonald’s even gave them away just a few months ago. The reason to use the pedometer is to find out how much you usually move around each day just doing what you normally do. They say that we take an average of 5,000 steps. I think that’s a bit low. Or maybe the average person is really sedentary. It may be revealing for you to find out this benchmark for exercise.
The next goal is to simply step it up. Add 1,000 steps to your total. Then the next day add some more. You get the idea. Think of the little device as giving your fitness a treat. Maybe you could call it a “peds dispenser”.
TODAY: TAKE MORE THAN YOUR AVERAGE NUMBER OF STEPS.
You probably have a pedometer in that drawer of stuff you ignore. Likely you put it on the day you got it and never again. It’s also likely that you simply didn’t see how it could be of any benefit. Well I have a plan for you to put it to work. You see we all get exercise every day without even knowing it. When you get up from the couch and walk to the refrigerator you get exercise. When you walk to the car to drive a block to the store you get some exercise. (I hope you see some of my sarchasm here.) To cut to the chase, (another pun) the average person takes about 5000 steps a day. But just like the car commercials say, “your mileage may vary.” So today dig out that pedometer and find out how many steps you are taking. Tomorrow we’ll take this plan one step further.
TODAY: DIG OUT A PEDOMETER YOU ALREADY HAVE, OR GO BUY A CHEAP ONE.
Just so you don’t think that I nag you to walk because I think it’s a good idea. The nags all have factual basis. I may not be a doctor, but I’ve read what they recommend. And the big guy, the Surgeon General, recommends “30 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days per week to improve your health and fitness.” It can be accumulated walking of 30 minutes, meaning it can be done in shorter lengths throughout the day. 10 or 15 minutes at a time during different parts of the day is fine. The ‘moderate intensity’ means you feel the exercise and get warm and slightly out of breath when you do it.
So get up and walk or we’ll have to stick a big red surgeon general warning on the side of your couch, because it’s hazardous to your health!
TODAY: GET OUT THERE AND WALK!
It’s that easy. A great desert with very few calories and no carbs. Top it with real whipped cream (no sugar added) and you’ve maintained the low carb diet and given yourself a nearly decadent treat. Diet success is spelled J-E-L-L-O
TODAY: HEAD TO A PARK AND DOUBLE YOUR WALKING DISTANCE.
I ate at one of those “New American Cuisine” restaurants a while ago where the plates are large and the portions are beautiful but small. I’ve also noticed that those places also make a meal an event by drawing out the service over an hour or more. I ate well, though not much and it turned out I was full. It was the perfect demonstration of what you may have heard before. Namely, you won’t feel like you’ve had a satisfying meal until your brain tells you. It turns out that it takes 20 minutes until your stomach sends that signal. So slow down, even take a break mid meal to let the time pass. You’ll find that you will feel full on less. Maybe try eating with someone you like to talk with and share in conversation rather than calories. Your life will be fuller too.
TODAY: SPEND AT LEAST 20 MINUTES EATING YOUR MAIN MEALS.
Daily Nag, Exercise | Diet Nag | 
August 13, 2010 6:06 am | 
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