In order!

When we approach fitness for the first time, it is easy to get overwhelmed.  There are so many things to do—try Zumba, eat kale, buy a shake weight, figure out if water aerobics is a thing that anyone can do—that we don’t know what to do first.  (No, none of us need to buy a shake weight; it won’t hurt, but it probably won’t help either.)  Most of us do best not trying to change everything at once, so here is the order I suggest for working toward fitness.

1.     Cardio.  The main reason to start with cardio is that we all have built-in equipment in the form of feet.  If we haven’t been off the couch in years, we want to start with walking.  Our first goal is to get in half an hour three times a week, and all thirty minutes don’t have to happen at once.  From there, we build up to five days a week at a pace that leaves us able to talk, but barely.  We’ll get mood benefits and burn calories.

2.     Water.  This is the first dietary change I suggest because most of us don’t drink nearly enough water.  Plain water (or water with bubbles or a slice of lemon) has no calories and helps us feel full longer, which can help us lose weight if we have a habit of drinking a lot of soda or juice or sweetened coffee or tea.  Staying hydrated helps us maintain a good mood.

3.     Weight training.  Once those two habits are truly habitual, we can bump it up a notch.  Weight training is what really starts to change the body once we have our cardio base.  It slims us down and shapes us up.  Start with one session a week and build up to two or three with rest days in between sessions.  (People who lift every day need to make sure to avoid working the same muscle groups two days in a row for best results.)

4.     Get out the junk.  Now it’s time to ditch those French fries, mostly.  (I believe that the occasional treat is important, but it has to be worth it!!!)

5.     Add a mindfulness practice.  Pilates, yoga, and/or meditation can help tune us in to our best selves.  We can change the quality of our movement, lengthen our muscles, and weed out the stress that gets in the way of our good habits.

That should get us moving in the right direction!!!