Activity: Start up, Ramp up, Keep it up!

[Divash]

I posted about this in another thread, but I think it's worthwhile to repost. A lot of us have weight to lose that doesn't respond to only dieting. If I stick to my nutrition plan religiously, I can lose maybe another 20 pounds, but I need to lose about 50 to feel really good and be within my healthiest weight range, so activity is going to have to be a factor.

The idea with activity is that whatever you're already doing, just increase it.

START UP:
Get off the bus one stop early.

Park your car a little further away from the entrance, even if there's a spot closer in.

Take the stairs one flight, then grab the elevator the rest of the way up. Going down, take the stairs two floors before grabbing an elevator. This tones your quadriceps (thigh muscles).

When putting away groceries: lift each item, hold it out from your body at arm's length, lift it up and down by two inches, two or three times, then put the item away. Upper arm definition will improve slightly.

If you have a baby, tiny sibling, or pet, pick it up and cuddle it. Weight lifting, plus bonus snuggles. Upper arm definition will improve slightly.

While brushing your teeth or hair, lift your heels so you're standing on the toes and balls of your feet, and bounce up and down. You'll strengthen and define your calf muscles this way.

Walk a tiny bit faster, so that you can still talk, but wouldn't be able to sing comfortably. It'll strengthen your cardiovascular system a bit.

When cleaning anything, scrub a bit more vigorously. Arm strength, hand strength, and cardiovascular strengthening.

When sitting at your desk, bounce your knee up and down. Fidgeting can burn as many as 300 extra calories each day!

Stand and pace when thinking, rather than sit and stare at nothing.

It's easy to justify skipping a workout at the end of a long and hard day. By working out in the morning, you'll ensure that you actually do work out. After the initial week or two of adjustment, you'll find that the workouts (even light ones) get your blood pumping and actually give you more energy to go about your day and get more done.

When doing homework: Once every hour, take a five-minute break to do five situps or pushups, five or ten leg lifts on each side, five jumping jacks, then walk around for the remaining four minutes. Bonus points: do your walking outdoors, and get some fresh air. More bonus points: walk around out there in shorts, so you can get a tan!

You could spend a few hundred dollars on a workout machine, or simply pick up a simple (possibly secondhand) bicycle and actually get somewhere while you're engaged in activity, thus saving time as well as money. After all, who actually uses those stationary bikes?  

[Divash]

RAMP UP:

Once you're committed to a small, simple increase in activity (enough that you'v stopped thinking of it as an increase, and started to think of it as just something normal), take it up a notch.

If you're already getting off the bus one stop early, try getting off two stops early. If it's a short trip (under one mile), just walk the whole way.

Park your car in the furthest-away parking spot. Don't even bother looking for a stop closer.

Take the stairs for two to three flights instead of one going up. Going down, take the stairs as much as five or even ten flights.

If you have a baby, tiny sibling, or pet, join them in a physical activity. Lift your baby or toddler and dance and sing. Teach your kid sister or brother how to jump rope, roller skate, play tag, or turn flips on the monkey bars. Run around the back yard with your dog; take it on more walks or runs.

Do ball-of-the-foot bouncing and leg lifts when brushing teeth or hair, washing face, standing in line for the bus or at the supermarket, waiting on hold on the phone.

Walk a bit faster everywhere, so that it's a wee bit harder to hold a real conversation, but you can still say "Yeah, that's true" once in a while so your buddy knows you're listening.

When sitting at your desk, lift your feet so your legs are straight out in front of you, and lift-and-lower them about two to three inches up and down for the duration of the class. Your upper thigh muscles will love you for it.

When lying on your stomach to study or watch TV, lift and lower your feet by bending your legs, up and down by about two or three inches. This will tone the backs of your legs.

Honor your progress by investing in a new exercise outfit. I'm especially fond of http://www.ladiesonlysports.com -- they've got exercise gear for plus sizes, and in some cases this goes all the way up to size 8X -- that's about a 400 pound person, so no more excuses! You DESERVE to have comfortable exercise gear, and this is one company that hasn't given up on you by refusing to provide things in your size, no matter what size you happen to be.  

[Divash]

Keep it up!

Turn from walking to jogging or running.

Don't even bother with the bus or a car if you're going less than a mile. If you have to handle heavy things, like groceries, buy a hand-cart so you can still walk instead of drive.

Get a stroller for the baby and take it walking or running; better yet, a backpack, so that while you're spending time with the baby, you can also be carrying more weight and thus burning more calories/fat. Go for a RUN with the dog, not just a walk.

Walk faster; walk farther.

On a long road trip, you'll probably want to stop for bathroom and food breaks now and then. Take an extra ten or twenty minutes on these breaks, and use the time to get in a few jumping backs, jog around the block, or play with the kid or dog. (It'll also give you a chance to drink some water, engage in the activity, and then go pee so you don't have to stop again quite so soon!)

Find a workout buddy. You've got a friend or relative who's also looking to get in shape, so use them as the reason you can't skip that workout: "But Mom/Dad/Bro/Sis/Buddy will be there, and will be lonely if I don't go with!"

Be good to your feet. If you haven't already done so, get a pair of running shoes or cross-trainers that will give you good arch support, cushy comfort, and (let's be honest) that extra sparkle of enjoyment that comes with any new article of clothing. By now you may also need to replace your old workout gear with something smaller and/or less worn -- splurge once a year (or if you can afford it, once a seaon) on a new workout top and/or bottom, and maybe a sports bra.  

[Divash]

Creating and honoring achievement:

To start up activity where there is none or very little, you actually won't need to spend any money at all. The clothes and shoes you normally wear can be worn for walking a couple extra blocks, playing with kids or pets, buying groceries.

But for walking a mile or more, you will need shoes that are a bit more comfortable. Sneakers are fine for casual walking, and for those of us that start out as sedentary people, casual walking is all we'll be able to do at first. When you get to the point at which you want to take it up a notch, invest in some cross-trainers or running shoes.

For walking longer distances, jogging, dancing, or doing most other forms of exercise, you'll want clothes that are designed primarily for comfort. T-shirts are great, and most of us own at least a few. Colder weather is good for sweat pants. For warmer weather, check out http://www.ladiesonlysports.com. They've got comfortable, stylish clothes in regular and plus sizes (up to size 8X in some items!). You'll feel awesome, plus you won't sweat yourself to death in this lighter gear.

For me, I bought a set of yoga pants and a figure-hugging tank top to wear at home. Yes, I was 100 pounds overweight -- but just wearing those things made me feel strong and nimble, like a dancer, which made me want to dance around my apartment, which made me actually lose weight. Clothes can make the (wo)man, as the saying goes. I find that if I dress for exercise, I suddenly feel motivated to exercise. Plus, they're comfy enough to wear to bed, which means in the morning all I have to do is roll out of bed and start my workout, instead of looking around for something to change into.

You'll also notice your clothing sizes change. Those with less than 20 pounds to lose, just pick out the largest outfit in your closet, and decide what you want to buy to replace that outfit when it starts to feel or look uncomfortably/unflatteringly large on you. Halfway to your goal, buy one new outfit. When you hit your goal weight, buy another new outfit.

For those with more weight to lose, I suggest re-measuring yourself at key points for every 5 pounds you lose: shoulder-span, chest, waist, hips, each thigh, and each upper arm. Every ten pounds or every two inches of waist-measurement you lose, think about buying a new article of clothing. Just one, don't go crazy! If you can still wear your shirts comfortably, but find that you've only got two skirts/pants that aren't falling off of you, buy skirts. Be sensible. If you lose weight at a healthy rate of one to four pounds per week, this means getting a new piece of clothing every two to ten weeks, which is affordable.

But don't throw out the largest of those old things. Keep them in your closet. Someday when you've lost a bit of weight, but are feeling discouraged and unmotivated, take out that old outfit and try it on. See how baggy it looks. Don't you feel like a rock star now? Now, imagine doing that with the outfit you're wearing today, the one that fits your halfway-there body perfectly. Yeah, see? That'll renew the enthusiasm!  

[Savvy Bee]

Great thread. 3nodding You've got some good ideas I haven't heard of before.

 

[Lady Schist]

What I've done just recently, is I chose a beautiful trail by my house, (It leads right down to the sea!) I've got a great route that goes down my street, onto another street, and onto the trail, which I go up, and it connects with my street again further up.

It's a good 2.5 km, a little less than half is down hill on concrete, and the rest is up hill on stairs and rugged terrain. And what's more is that it's BEAUTIFUL!

First thing I'm going to do is start making it my job to do that thing every day and clean up the trash that gets left there. (I hate that!) and after a few days or so of that, (up to around a week maybe) I'm going to bring my yoga mat (And an old blanket, it's rocky!) and test out morning yoga...

Then... possibly I'll make a facebook group thing for my friends and invite them along.  

[Divash]

Excellent ideas, Schist. Remember, though, to make sure that only people you know and trust already will be meeting up with you in a deserted stretch of beach or forest. Please don't wind up on the news, G*D forbid, as "Body found, film at eleven."  

[Lady Schist]

While I'd not be inviting strangers, I would also have my fiancee with me at all times.  

[alwyscrying240]

Awesome thread.

Do you have any more ideas on how to work arms or abs?  

[Divash]

ARMS:

Since it's summertime, I highly recommend swimming as a fun activity. For those in the work force (not tied to school schedules, and not given a 3-month vacation), it may be harder to find time to do it, but it's great for the arms when you do it in earnest. It's also great for the legs, and for the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system. Surfing is also amazing for the arms, the legs, and even the abs (all that lying down and then jumping up).

ABS:

I'd love to hear some ideas here. I just do boring old crunches and situps, but there must be something that works better, or that's a little bit more fun.  

[Agorphia]

Wow, I love this thread!

I'm moving my knees up and down as I sit here now. xD

All of this is great advice, thanks so much! I'm going to post a link to it in my diary. :3  

[Divash]

I learned this last night from another Weight Watchers buddy:

Fidgeting can burn up to 300 extra calories per day. Fidget ever day, and you might lose an extra pound per week, if you don't increase your caloric intake!  

[Starlurk]

I've noticed if I fidget while I read I get really pumped up to do jumping jacks. XP  

[Divash]

Another useful tip: Treat your exercise the same way you treat your food cravings.

What do you do, or what did you used to do, when you got a craving for ice cream or chocolate or pie or whatever your particular weakness was/is? You'd think about it a while, then go get it. What did you used to do when thinking about exercising? Think about it, then continue watching TV or reading or whatever.

Start treating your exercise/activity/play like a sweet treat. Think about it, then go do it right then, before you can decide not to! Think of it as a fun treat, like "Yay, I get to go jump rope! Yay, I get to swim! Yay, I get to do cartwheels!" Honor your inner child's desire for play.  

[sugurufan]

for me, I have started playing ddr with a goal in mind, to compete in the Ohayocon ddr contest. I find setting a goal that is fun and particiapating in cool events makes it even better. Also, I find that I enjoy the convention raves, so I am practicing dancing to rave music.

It is all about finding what you like, and doing that. Don't just beat those hard and fustrating game levels sitting on the couch, get up, stand while you are playing. Bounce and pace, you will be burning calories and playing those games you know and love!