Yesterday, I started a new exercise plan, and this time I'm determined to make it stick! The last time I followed this plan, I got down to a health weight. However, the weight has crept on. Well, it hasn't exactly "crept" back on...my lack of consistent exercise and excessive consumption of sweets may have had something to do with it.
But instead of having a goal of weight loss, I have a goal of increasing my physical activity level in VERY gradual steps. My goal for Week 1 (which started yesterday) is to use the treadmill 15 minutes at least five days during the week. Now you may wonder what good 15 minute exercise sessions will do. In terms of weight loss, it probably won't do much, but I will begin to get into the habit of using the treadmill (or alternate cardio if one is not available). Then in Week 2, I will exercise 20 minutes per session; then 25 minutes per session, and so on. If I can actually get to the point that I can use the treadmill of an hour (at a certain speed), then I will be in pretty good condition. At 40, my condition and my health status is more important than the size of clothes I wear.
Yesterday, when I started the treadmill, my ankles began to hurt. This is because I am used to pointing my toes and not flexing my ankles. Since walking on the treadmill involves a lot of flexion, it really hurt! However, I figure I can tolerate 15 minutes of it. I will write my activity in a journal (or blog) so that I can be accountable for my progress. I also will not weight myself for a while so that I can focus on increasing my activity rather than losing weight. This method was effective before, so I hope it will work again :)
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