Exercise, along with a healthy eating plan, is essential for losing weight. Want to see faster results as you’re following the South Beach Diet lifestyle? Just take your workout up a notch! The South Beach Supercharged Workout consists of two parts: Interval Walking and the Total-Body Workout, which you will do on alternate days. Dr. Agatston, author of The South Beach Diet Supercharged, recommends getting in at least 20 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.
Research has found that if you incorporate exercise into your daily routine you’ll not only rev up your metabolism and lose weight faster (avoiding those frustrating weight-loss plateaus), you’ll also tone your body and take inches off your waistline. The entire exercise program, which is featured in the Supercharged book, is designed so that you can tailor it to your own level of fitness.
If you have never exercised before, you can work at a very easy pace until you feel confident moving ahead. If you’re already physically fit, we offer exercise variations that make the program more challenging. The really good news is that with this 20-minute-a-day program, you should see better results in far less time than you would in a typical hour of steady-state exercise.
Here’s an overview of the two main components of the South Beach Supercharged Workout:
Interval Walking
Interval walking involves alternating between periods of fast
walking and periods of slower recovery walking. Dr. Agatston recommends doing a
minimum of 20 minutes of interval exercise every other day. Walking
in intervals:
- Gives your heart and lungs a great workout, which is vital for cardiovascular health
- Boosts your metabolism so you burn more calories and fat, which translates to faster weight loss
- Keeps your body burning fat and calories even after you’re done exercising
Total-Body Workout
Core-strengthening workouts help strengthen and develop the muscles
in the back, abdomen, pelvis, and hips, as well as promote stability and
flexibility. Functional fitness also helps prevent injury and should be done on
alternate days with interval walking. Core strengthening:
- Works several muscle groups simultaneously
- Promotes balance, stability, good posture, and coordination
- Tones your arms and legs and increases your flexibility
A word of caution: Talk with your doctor before you make any sudden change in your level of activity, especially if you are age 50 or older, have been inactive, have difficulty keeping your balance, have periods of dizziness, or have known heart problems.
