Healthy Living

The 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge That Actually Works

Day 5: Slowly incorporate fitness into your schedule

Losing weight is a gradual process; it’s a marathon rather than a sprint. Pushing yourself too hard in the beginning can ultimately sabotage your efforts. When you start to incorporate fitness into your schedule, start out slowly and work your way up. Be careful not to overextend yourself and wear yourself out; excessive exercise can be similar to crash dieting in that it tends to be dangerous, unhealthy, and ultimately unsustainable. Incorporating fitness into your routine gradually will help you to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle that you can maintain over the long term. You might start by arriving at work a few minutes early and taking the stairs rather than the elevator, then continue to increase your activity level by walking one mile each day, then running one mile each day as you build endurance. Perhaps you’ll start out by signing up for a weekly gentle yoga class, then work your way up to a daily hot yoga session. Making a commitment to regular exercise will not only help you to lose weight, but it will also help to improve your overall physical and mental well-being.