Improving your eating habits with the South Beach Diet is an important step. Adding regular exercise to the mix will only boost your results — not to mention improve your strength and flexibility.
Exercise shouldn't be a chore. Be sure to focus on activities you actually enjoy doing so that you'll keep at it. Not interested in heading to the gym? Try tennis, swimming, or a stroll around the block after dinner. Aim for 20 to 30 total minutes a day of activity, but remember that every little bit helps.
In addition to getting in some aerobic activity, be sure to stretch to avoid injury and stay flexible. Light weightlifting is important, too, whether it's done with machines at the gym or with small weights — or even cans from the kitchen — at home. Don't worry, you don't have to be a body builder! And although building muscle might technically make the numbers on the scale go up ever so slightly, having more muscle actually boosts your metabolism, which means you're likely to burn more calories — even as you sleep. For women especially, weight training is also good for building bone density, which will help reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.
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Set exercise goals with a Beach Buddy
See Also:
Diet Tips & Recipe & Meal Plans