Exercise and The South Beach Diet

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Exercise and The South Beach DietT

There are no two ways about it: Exercise is a beneficial component of a

weight-healthy lifestyle. Exercise can help you lose weight as well as maintain

weight loss, but it can also improve your overall health, lift your mood, help

you to sleep better, and relieve stress. How can you make exercise

part of your daily routine? Take the work out of your workout by

developing an exercise plan you enjoy.

To ease into a regular exercise regimen, Dr. Agatston recommends the

following:

a.. Start with a brisk 20-minute daily walk. If you don't have a

20-minute block to spare, try two brisk 10-minute walks per day. " Any exercise

is better than none, " says Dr. Agatston, preventive cardiologist and author of

The South Beach DietT, " so don't use lack of time as an excuse not to get

moving. "

b.. Include 10 to 15 minutes of stretching to prevent injury and

increase flexibility.

c.. Alternate cardiovascular activities with 10 to 20 minutes of

strength training - activities designed to increase muscle strength, endurance,

and power. The key to improving muscle strength is resistance - whether from a

dumbbell, your actual body weight (as is the case with push-ups and sit-ups), or

other equipment (like a rubber band). The results go beyond increasing muscle

strength. According to Dr. Agatston, " By maintaining and building muscle and

bone mass, you're increasing your metabolism so you're burning more calories

even while you sleep. " He adds, " Many people don't realize how important

strength training is for continued and sustainable weight loss. " You don't have

to be a bodybuilder or buy expensive equipment to strengthen your muscles. One

of Dr. Agatston's favorite fitness tools is an inexpensive fitness ball, which

can be used to strengthen abdominal, butt, and back muscles.

d.. If you reach a weight-loss plateau, try increasing the length or

intensity of your workout. For example, try walking a route with hills or

alternating between brisk walking and jogging.

e.. Regardless of how much weight you lose, you should begin to feel

more energetic, more rested, and less stressed when you participate in an

exercise routine. Even if you never make it past step one, you're better off

than you were without any exercise.