Top Tips to Build Exercise into Your Life

Erin at the Cambridge showroom on a Neptune Fluid Rower

Think of exercise as something that is part of your normal routine, looking after yourself and something that will always part of your life.  It's like brushing your hair or brushing your teeth, something that has to be done to look and feel good.    Exercise is a priority, so how can you build exercise into your life easily?

Some great ideas that work for our 1000's of clients

TV
If you spend 30 minutes everyday watching your favourite TV programme, why not get a small TV set to put in your exercise space so that you can enjoy watching your show and also gain all the fantastic benefits of exercising regularly.  This way you haven't had to find extra time in your day to fit exercise in.

Sessions
Two lots of 15 minutes of exercise are as effective as one 30 minute session for calorie burning. So jump on your machine for 15 minutes before work and then 15 minutes when you get home - you have then easily fitted your session into your day.

Count Down
Use the time count down on the equipment - this does seem to make the time go faster as you can see you are getting to the finishing line.

Interval Training
Use interval training to really up the fitness and calorie burn - this means go hard for one minute, then moderately for one minute and on and on.  Do this for 20 minutes and you have had a great workout.   Do this 2-3 times per week for great results.

Heart Rate
Use the incline or resistance on the equipment to get your heart rate in the right zone - all the machines show you the zone you should exercise in - make sure you do so that you get the best benefits from the time you are spending.  Time spent with your heart rate too low (not exercising strongly enough) is time wasted.  

Programme
Following a well designed fitness plan can really help those new to exercise or people wanting the motivation of ticking off achieving the plan.  A plan makes it easy to know what you are going to do today, when you should rest and how hard you should exercise.  Ask us about fitness plans to use with your equipment.
 

What Exercise Will Do For You

Exercise will make you look great!

Muscles are toned and strengthened giving you definition and firmness.
Skin looks and feels healthier due to the increased blood that flows to the skin during exercise.

Exercise will make you feel great!
Exercise will increase your aerobic capacity (fitness level). This gives you the ability to go through your day, get more done and have more energy at the end of the day.
Physical activity can improve self-esteem and impart a general sense of well-being. Exercise reduces depression and anxiety, increases feelings of well-being, improves the ability to handle stress, and improves self-image.
Exercise has been proven to improve sleep patterns so you wake well rested to take on the day.

Exercise will help you protect yourself against illnesses!
Exercise has been proven to give people an extra edge when it comes to avoiding or minimizing diseases such as;

Heart Disease:  Exercise helps reverse established disease and helps control the risk factors for heart disease.
Stroke:  Exercise prevents strokes and helps restore function after a stroke. High blood pressure. Exercise decreases your blood pressure.
Osteoporosis:  Exercise can prevent and reverse bone loss, which can stave off the disabling effects of fractures and bone degeneration. Increases the thickness of cartilage in joints which has a protective effect on the joints.
Endometriosis:  Decreases a woman's risk of developing endometriosis by 50%.
Diabetes:  Exercise can prevent or delay the serious vascular complications of diabetes; because physical activity helps regulate blood sugar, it can decrease the need for drugs. Regular exercise can reduce the need for insulin.
Cancer:  Some studies show that ovarian, cervical, uterine, vaginal, and colon cancers are lower in active than in inactive people.
Arthritis:  Exercise improves endurance, strengthens muscles, and increases joint flexibility and range of motion.
Digestive System:  Increases the efficiency of the digestive system which may reduce the incidence of colon cancer.

How Exercise Works in Weight Loss

The Simple Equation

ENERGY IN less the ENERGY USED = ENERGY STORED (fat)

If your food intake (energy in) is greater than the energy you use everyday to function then the extra energy will be stored as fat.  

Or one kilo of body fat contains 7700 calories or 32340 kilojoules. (1 calorie = 4.2 kilojoules).
So to lose weight you need to adjust the equation so that fat energy is used and weight is lost.  You can do this by eating less calories, increasing general activity and increasing exercise.

• If you were to do 30 minutes of strong walking (185 calories burnt) only four times a week you would burn 740 calories in that week.
• Over one month you would burn off 2960 calories or 0.38 kilograms of body fat given your diet remained the same.
• Over a year this would equal 4.6 kilograms of weight lost even if you changed nothing else.
• And this is sustainable of weight loss. The secret is ensuring that you exercise four times or more for at least 30 minutes. 
  
  

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