Ten Easy Ways to Incorporate Exercise Into Your Daily Routine

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 by: Jo Hartley
Tags: exercise, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) Many people fear that if they start exercising they will become hungrier and that this will lead to eating more. They reason that they will gain weight because they will be eating more. What these people don't realize is that your blood sugar levels determine when you feel hunger. When your blood sugar drops you feel hungry and it's natural and normal to seek food to increase your blood sugar levels again.

Exercising actually helps to normalize and even out any fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar levels are steady you won't feel that starving feeling as often. Exercise also activates your muscles, which means you begin to burn fat rather than carbohydrates. This reduction in the burning of carbohydrates maintains your blood sugar levels in a more balanced manner, too. We can all agree that burning present fat on your body instead of extraneous carbohydrates in your system would be a definite benefit of exercise.

When you raise your metabolic rate from exercise, the cells in your body will burn oxygen more efficiently. This will then help you to use the nutrients from your diet more effectively. It also helps your body to eliminate waste products and this means that you will be getting better nourishment from the foods that you eat. When you get better nourishment you won't require the same quantities of food to feel fulfilled.

Another added benefit of exercise is that you are increasing your body temperature and this will help to mobilize the fat in your body that can be used for energy rather than your body using the available food. Your resting basal metabolic rate will be higher after exercise for a considerable amount of time. This effectively helps you to burn more fat and improve the body fat percentage in your body.

There are so many reasons why you should be including some form of exercise into your lifestyle -- whether you are trying to lose weight or not. Even if you are reluctant to exercise you might think about it this way. It will most likely be easier to increase your activity level and incorporate exercise into your daily routine than to reduce the amount of food that you feel like eating every day.

Ten Ways to Get More Active:

1. Exercise first thing in the morning. Get up 20-30 minutes earlier and get your workout in first thing during the day.

2. Start taking the furthest away parking spot and get in a few extra steps between your car and the shopping center.

3. Take a "walk break" whenever you can find the time during the day. Taking short 10 minute walks a few times a day will do wonders for your metabolism!

4. Play with your kids! This is great attention for the kids and great activity for everyone.

5. Choose the stairs over the elevator.

6. Choose a restroom that is the furthest away if you have an option.

7. Try to choose an active activity right after work. A walk or even gardening or housework is better than just sitting on the couch.

8. Walk, jog, or stretch when you are waiting for dinner to cook, the laundry to finish up, or for your child to be finished with an activity.

9. It is perfectly acceptable to break up your intense workouts. You want to have at least 30 minutes of cardio every day -- but if you split that 30 minutes into three, ten minute sessions you will find this more manageable.

10. Turn your housework into exercise. When vacuuming try to use your arm, back and abdominal muscles to push the vacuum. When loading the dishwasher, maintain good posture as you are bending and straightening and keep your abs tight. Scrubbing floors, cleaning the bathtub, gardening, and mowing the lawn are great ways to burn some extra calories.

About the author

Jo Hartley
Wife, Mother of 8, and Grandmother of 2
Jo is a 41 year old home educator who has always gravitated toward a natural approach to life. She enjoys learning as much as possible about just about anything!
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