Health Image

Here at Health Image I’m going to follow up from my last article where I looked at how eating the right foods is of huge importance to getting and remaining healthy. In this article I’ll look at the benefits of healthy exercise as a means of not only getting healthy but also aiding any weight loss program you might either be on or may be thinking about.

To enjoy a healthy lifestyle then we need to look at some healthy fitness tips to get you into good condition, especially if you’ve been neglecting yourself a little!

You have to start somewhere, so start slow and gradually build yourself up over a period of time, because if you try to go too fast too soon, you’ll end up doing more harm than good.

So start your daily exercise routine by getting out of bed and stretching! If you don’t already do that – and many of us don’t – then spend a minute or two just stretching your arms into the air taking a few deep breaths and stretch!

That kick-starts your cardiovascular system and loosens up your muscles after the inactivity of your nights sleep. Then once you’re dressed and ready, instead of heading for the sofa with the TV remote and a box of chocolates or whatever, go outside and walk somewhere.

Doesn’t matter where you go, just walk around the block or if there is a park nearby take a walk around that. It doesn’t have to be for a long time either, just whatever you are comfortable with in order to get yourself moving.

That’s it for starters.

Do that every day and you’ll start feeling better already. Your walks will begin to get a little longer each day and you’ll find your step picking up as you get used to it.

Well, I never said I was going to be a slave driver! The whole way to fitness is to take it slow and steady and build up to the harder stuff as your body gets ready for it.

So lets move on a little and assume you’ve been at this for a little while now.

Now that you’re walking out more and your muscles are beginning to tone up through this light form of exercise, you can begin to compound the effect by deliberately walking faster, so that the initial stroll becomes a more determined walk.

Let’s face it, for someone for whom regular exercise doesn’t hold any excitement, the thought of doing regular gym-like repetitions of things is simply something for other people to do. So what can you do to tone your muscles up that doesn’t involve throwing weights around or doing those horrible sit-ups?

Well more sedate options are available and one of the best and most relaxing forms of exercise is Tai Chi. This oriental form of exercise involves little more than slowly moving through a series of body movements that has the double effect of toning your muscles, improving your balance and relaxing you all at the same time.

If you check out the local Yellow Pages or your local sports centre, you’ll most likely find some Tai Chi classes locally that you can attend as little or as often as you like. Give it a try – it beats pumping iron in a gym – unless you want to do that of course!

That’s it for this instalment. I’ll continue in a similar vein in the next post.

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