Exercise on the Summer Bode Challenge

Let’s talk about exercise… Getting our bodies moving is one of the keys to achieving our weight loss goals. For the Summer Bode Challenge, we are going to aim for 30 minutes of activity per day.  You don’t need to spend hours at the gym, but you do need to make the most of your 30 minutes.  My preference is that you are incorporating both cardio and strength activities into your workouts (you don't have to do both everyday, as long as you mix it up throughout the week).  For cardio: walk, run, swim, bike, jump rope, hop on the elliptical, rollerblade, etc.  Just get that heart rate up (ideally at or above 130 BPM).  For strength: take a fitness class, do bodyweight exercises (like pushups, situps, squats), or do some traditional weightlifting.  I want you to focus on using lots of different muscle groups!

So, let’s aim to schedule activity into our day. Make a date with your health and make your workouts feel like important meetings that you have set with yourself! Think about how you can incorporate more activity into your day:

• Do you sit at a desk all day? Get up and go for a walk at lunch time.
• Waiting for someone? Do 10 squats.
• Watching TV? Do sit-ups during the commercial break.
• If you are already really active, is there something new you could try to mix things up? Like a new class at the gym or perhaps upping the intensity of your current workout?